Abstract
Objective: To analyze the influence of sex hormones on the pathophysiology and predisposition of Alzheimer's Disease, in addition to their neuroprotective benefits. Methods: This is an integrative literature review, and was carried out in the PubMed, Virtual Health Library (BVS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) databases, using key words included in the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS), in its variants in English and Portuguese, in the following combinations using the Boolean operator “AND”: “Alzheimer's Disease AND Sex Hormones and Alzheimer's Disease AND Sex Hormones”. Results: 18 articles were selected for review. From reading the articles, sex differences in Alzheimer's disease were observed, mainly mediated by steroid hormones. Furthermore, the activity of these hormones as neuroprotectors against inflammatory processes in the central nervous system is verified. Conclusion: Studies show the participation of sex hormones in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease. Changes in these steroids influence different sites, such as: proteins, organelles, neuronal and glial cells, resulting in the neurodegenerative process that characterizes the disease. Therefore, it is considered a promising field in research aimed at the therapy of this dementia, including highlighting which would be more beneficial for each sex.