Update on the effect of estradiol in postmenopause women with Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review

Estradiol (E2) has been used in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) for many years but with various responses. Evidence from clinical studies, randomized clinical trials (RCTs), and observational studies further underscores the importance of E2 in postmenopause women diagnosed with AD. The purpose of this article is to review all clinical trials to date focusing on the E2 in AD patients to explore the evidence regarding use of E2 in AD treatments. To achieve this objective, clinical studies regarding E2 levels in AD patients and RCTs assessing AD treatment in postmenopause women were identified through searches of MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Web of Science, Ovid, and Google Scholar. E2 has demonstrated good therapeutic effectiveness in AD patients, however, further larger scale, double-blind RCTs are required before a definitive conclusion can be reached and the results need to be compared with other drugs. This update reviews the newest clinical information regarding the role of E2 in postmenopause women with AD. To our knowledge, this is the only systematic review of this area.