Suppressing sex hormones in males, using treatments like those prescribed as puberty blockers, is linked to an increased risk of dementia
A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis1 found that men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer had an increased risk of dementia, with a 26% higher likelihood for all types of dementia and a 9% higher risk specifically for Alzheimer’s disease, compared to men not receiving this treatment. ADT reduces the effects of male sex hormones (androgens) such as testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This is achieved using medications, including GnRH agonists (which initially stimulate and then suppress hormone production via the pituitary gland), GnRH antagonists (which directly block hormone receptor activity), or through other pharmaceutical and surgical approaches. Notably, some of the same medications used for ADT—GnRH agonists, GnRH antagonists, and certain antiandrogens—are also employed as “puberty blockers” to delay puberty in children and adolescents.