A hormone replacement therapy may help reduce the severity of COVID-19 infection, which is potentially worth exploring, according to researchers.
A Mirage News report said that the estrogen levels of an older woman may be associated with her chances of dying from the virus with higher hormone levels apparently protective against infection.
Women appear to be at lower risk of severe infection from COVID-19 compared to men, even after accounting for possibly influential factors.
More so, this is true of other severe recent viral infections like the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS. Therefore, it has been suggested that estrogen may play a role in this gender difference.
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A new study found that the estrogen levels of an older woman may be associated with her chances of dying from COVID-19 with higher hormone levels apparently protective against the infection.
Over 49,000 Women with COVID-19 Studied
To make further exploration, the researchers compared the probable effects of boosting and reducing estrogen levels on the infection severity of COVID-19
In their research published in BMJ Open, the study authors drew on national data from the Swedish Public Health Agency specifically all those who test positive for SARS-CoV-2; Statistic Sweden for socioeconomic factors; and the National Board of Health and Welfare to determine the causes of death.
As a whole, 49,853 women were diagnosed with the virus in 2020 between February 4 and September 14 in Sweden. Out of this totality, 16,693 of whom had ages ranging from 50 to 80 years old.
The study sample involved over 14,600 women in all from which about two percent or 227 had been diagnosed before with breast cancer and were on estrogen blocker drugs or adjuvant therapy to control the risk of occurrence of cancer, and 2,535 or 17 percent were receiving hormone replacement therapy or HRT to enhance their estrogen levels in a bid to ease menopausal symptoms.
Meanwhile, more than 11,900 or 81 percent of the women in the study acted as the comparison group as they were not receiving any treatment type, to either improve or reduce their levels of systematic estrogen.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Analysis of all the data revealed that compared with those who had no estrogen treatment, the crude chances of dying from COVID-19 were double as high among women on estrogen blockers, although 54 percent is lower among women receiving HRT.
After accounting for possibly influential factors like age, educational background, annual disposable income, and coexisting health conditions, the chances of dying from the virus stayed substantially lower at 53 percent for those women being given the hormone replacement therapy.
Expectedly, age was substantially linked to the risk of dying from COVID -19, with an extra year linked to 15 percent greater chances, while each additional coexisting condition raised the chances of death by 13 percent. Furthermore, those who have the lowest household incomes were almost thrice as possible to die as those who have the highest wages.
Link Between Estrogen and Death from COVID-19
Described in a similar Medical Xpress report as an "observational study," as such, it can establish cause. No data were available, in terms of the exact dosage of HRT or estrogen blocker drugs, or their extent, neither on weight nor smoking, whereas the number of women in the group receiving adjuvant therapy was comparatively small.
Such factors may have been significant. However, the study investigators have concluded that their research shows a link between estrogen levels and death from COVID-19.
As a result, drugs increasing levels of estrogen may play a role in the therapeutic initiatives to lessen COVID-19 severity in women on their postmenopausal stage and could be examined in randomized control trials.
Related information about estrogen and women with COVID-19 is shown on Dr. John Campbell's YouTube video below:
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