Body weight, estrogen and cognitive functioning in Alzheimerʹs disease: an analysis of the Tacrine study group data

We conducted a retrospective analysis of clinically ascertained Alzheimerʹs disease subjects, hypothesizing that weight, given its positive relationship to endogenous estrogen levels, would correlate with better cognitive performance among women, but not necessarily men, with this disorder. Baseline (pretreatment) data, collected by the Tacrine Study Group were available from 347 women and 316 men. After controlling for age, duration of dementia, height, and education, we found weight to have a significant, positive relationship with two measures of global cognitive functioning among women. For men, this relationship was smaller and did not reach statistical significance. Post hoc analyses among women found the effect of weight to be independent of concurrent use of estrogen replacement medication. The use of estrogen replacement was independently related to better cognitive performance. Results support the contention that higher body weight — putatively as a reflection of higher levels of endogenous estrogens — has a positive effect on cognitive performance among women with Alzheimerʹs disease.