Alzheimer’s disease is one of the cruelest health risks we face today. Not only does it gradually decrease a person’s well-being, but it robs away the most important thing we have – our memory. Scientific studies focused on the use of testosterone therapy for Alzheimer’s disease have turned up some promising – and remarkable results.

While much of the study in this country focusing on testosterone and Alzheimer’s disease has been done on men, researchers at Monash University in Australia gave 96 post-menopausal healthy women a daily dose of testosterone gel or a placebo for six months. Each day the women would rub the prescribed dose of testosterone on their skin to see if they would have better performance on brain function tests.

What were the results?

Those women who received testosterone had significant improvements in verbal learning as well as short-term memory. Brain function boosting strengthens the connection between individual brain cells, helping to ward off dementia. No changes were noted in those who received the placebo.

This study is equally as important as the ones in this country – if not more so – because women are more likely (up to twice as much) to get Alzheimer’s than men. Since testosterone levels drop significantly in menopausal and post-menopausal women, this may dictate why the increased dementia risk is present.

Impact of Testosterone on Brain Functions and Memory

It is essential to understand is that testosterone is a hormone, and hormones circulate through the bloodstream to far-reaching parts of the body. Each of these chemical messengers (and there are more than 60 in the body) has a function or set of functions that it accomplishes. In the case of testosterone, the many functions include stimulating metabolism, red blood cell production, spermatogenesis, libido, and brain functions. That is not all that we need testosterone for, but you get the idea.

Testosterone is an androgen hormone, and the brain is full of androgen receptors that await the signal from testosterone to stimulate them into action. Without enough free testosterone readily available to bind to these receptors and create the necessary action, the corresponding mental functions will decline.

Another link in the connection between testosterone & Alzheimer’s disease is the role of estrogen in cognitive functions, and much of the estrogen in older adults comes via the testosterone conversion process into estradiol. When testosterone levels decline, so, too does circulating estrogen.

The use of testosterone therapy for Alzheimer’s disease does not only provide an increase in the testosterone signals to the brain but the estradiol signals, as well.

Is Low Testosterone Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease?

There is one crucial connection that links testosterone in Alzheimer’s disease, and that is the hormone’s ability to reduce the formation of a plaque called beta amyloid – a substance that researchers have linked to the brain destruction found in patients who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Beta amyloid plaque builds up in the brain unless testosterone helps the body get rid of it. 

When testosterone levels get too low, beta amyloid production can increase. That is why increasing testosterone is important to decrease beta amyloid for the supportive benefits of testosterone therapy for Alzheimer’s disease.

Blood flow to the brain may also be reduced by low testosterone levels interfering with coronary and vascular health. Heart disease is a risk factor for dementia.

We know that testosterone is linked to the brain by the way high levels cause aggressive and emotional behavior issues. This is evident in the actions of bodybuilders who increase their testosterone levels higher than normal and then act out in both aggressive and risk-taking ways.

The Ways Testosterone Therapy Can Help Memory

Testosterone can go straight to the brain to reduce the buildup of beta amyloid – a direct impact on memory concerns. Studies in the US, Hong Kong, and France have all found that men with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and testosterone levels lower than normal had a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in later years.

The use of testosterone therapy for Alzheimer’s disease has shown promise in many studies, improving spatial memory, navigational skills, and selective cognitive functions.

In a study out of the University of Texas in Houston, researchers found that testosterone could improve visual-spatial skills and cognition without having an adverse effect on PSA levels in men.

Ongoing research examining the role between testosterone and Alzheimer’s disease should continue to yield positive results. For further information, or to learn if you are a candidate for testosterone replacement therapy, please contact Kingsberg HRT Clinic for a confidential consultation at no charge.