A large, new study finds hormone therapy used during menopause does not raise – or lower – a woman’s risk for dementia.Researchers analyzed results from multiple high-quality studies, including data from more than one million women.Across the board, they found no meaningful link between hormone therapy and dementia… regardless of the type of hormones used, how long women took them, or when treatment started.The results also included no evidence that hormone therapy affected dementia risk in women who have early menopause.The takeaway: according to the researchers, decisions about hormone therapy should be based on managing menopause symptoms and weighing other potential benefits and risks — not concerns about memory loss or dementia later in life.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently removed long-standing “black box” warnings from menopause hormone products… warnings that many experts say included unproven claims about dementia risk.The lead author says, “Menopause hormone therapy is widely used to manage menopausal symptoms, yet its impact on memory, cognition and dementia risk remains one of the most debated issues in women's health.”She says while more long-term studies are needed, especially in diverse populations,these findings should help cut through years of confusion and conflicting headlines.Source: The Lancet Healthy LongevityAuthor Affiliations: University College London, North East London NHS Foundation Trust Goodmayes Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, University of Exeter, World Health Organization, The University of Melbourne, Peking University .Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter