geoffrey modest medical blogs

  A recent study found that women with high levels of plasma phosphorylated tau217 (p-tau217) had a higher risk of subsequently developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia (see   dementia tau217 inc risk women JAMA2026  in dropbox, or doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.1295) Details -- 2766 women were recruited from 39 US clinical sites between 1996 and 1999 into the Women’s Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS), a study of community-dwelling cognitively unimpaired women who were post-menopausal, aged 65-79yo, then randomized to either oral conjugated equine estrogens 0.625mg/d alone (with addition of medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5mg/d if they had intact uterus) vs placebo -- baseline plasma p-tau217 was measured in 2024 -- mean age 69.9, White 74%/Black 18%/Asian 5%/7% Latina -- hormone therapy treatment group:     -- estrogen alone, the placebo group: 569 women (21%)     -- estrogen alone, the intervention group: 570 women (...

  A recent epidemiological study found that the incidence of decreased cognitive function and the risk of dementia were less common in those drinking caffeinated coffee or tea (see   cognitive benefit coffee tea JAMA2026  in dropbox, or doi:10.1001/jama.2025.27259)   Details : -- two prospective  US  cohort studies, one including female participants in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS, n = 86,606, with data from 1980-2023) and male participants from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS, n = 45,215, with data from 1986-2023) who did not have cancer, Parkinson disease, or dementia at study entry -- These studies employed a rigorously validated assessment of food and beverage intake through food frequency questionnaires over these many years, with dietary intake collected and updated every 2 to 4 years -- dementia was identified via death records that included 98% complete data through state records, the National Death Index, next-of-kin confi...