 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Ruth E. Krasnow, BA, Health Science, San Jose State University and SRI International, 333 Ravenswood BN133, Menlo Park, CA 94025, 650-859-5514, ruth.krasnow@sri.com, Gary E. Swan, PhD, Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, 333 Ravenswood, Menlo Park, CA 94025, and Ramani Garimella, MD,, PhD, Health Science Program, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95123.
Objectives: To explore the relationship between lifelong estrogen exposure and verbal cognition as measured by the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). Since an index measuring lifelong estrogen exposure (IEE) is associated with verbal cognition, we sought to determine whether higher scores on the IEE were associated with higher scores on the CVLT, a measure of short and long-term memory in a sample of older women. Methods: This study is based on data collected by SRI International (NIA grant AG 09341) as part of the Western Collaborative Group Study on health and aging in which 130 women were followed for 10 years. The women ranged in age from 58-81 years (mean 71.1), and averaged 14.7 years of education. Their IEE scores, based on items such as age at menarche and menopause and use of oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, ranged from 1-17 (mean 8.6). Correlation and regression analyses were used to measure the association between IEE and CVLT before and after adjustment for age and BMI. Results: Scores on IEE were positively correlated (p<.05) with five CVLT measures: total recall score (r=.14); short delay free recall (r=.13); short delay cued recall (r=.15); long delay free recall (r=.14); and long delay cued recall (r=.16). Regression models that included BMI and age confirmed significant relationships between IEE and both long delay measures: free recall (r=.14) and cued recall (r=.15). Conclusions: Higher lifetime exposure to estrogen is significantly associated with better performance on measures of long-term verbal memory in older women.
Learning Objectives:
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.