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Treatment with hormones including estrogen and testosterone is another potential AD therapy, but it's controversial. Many epidemiological studies have indicated that estrogen replacement therapy in postmenopausal women is beneficial, cutting risk of developing AD by about half. However, some other studies show no effect. FURTHER EVIDENCE for a connection between sex hormones and AD comes from a study Gandy conducted of men undergoing hormone suppression therapy for prostate cancer. Once the patients' testosterone and estrogen levels had declined, their plasma amyloid levels roughly doubled. More data on estrogen's effects should begin to become available next year from rigorously controlled studies by investigators including Columbia University neurologist Mary Sano.
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