plasma phosphorylated Tau218 predicted dementia in women
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 (...
