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WHI
Estrogen Study - Philadelphia Enquirer ||
WHI Estrogen Study - New York Times
|| Hormone Survival Guide for Perimenopause Press Release ||
Anti Estrogen Study
Newsletter.
National Institutes of Health NIH
estrogen information as Reported in the New York Times.
The estrogen information released by the National
Institutes of Health (NIH) study is still very preliminary. The
preliminary study report provides estrogen information as it pertains
to the increased risk of stroke. The NIH study also showed that,
contrary to prevailing belief, estrogen failed to protect women from
heart disease.
As the article outlines, the National Institutes of Health estrogen information does show that estrogen does reduce the risk of hip fracture. But, there are a number of drugs FDA approved specifically for osteoporosis that can also reduce the risk of hip fractures. New York Times, March 3, 2004 Estrogen Therapy Woes. Another stake has been driven into hopes that long-term hormonal treatment might provide health benefits to postmenopausal women. The National Institutes of Health halted a trial of estrogen therapy in thousands of American women this week because it increased the risk of stroke and failed to protect against heart disease, the main potential health benefit. The findings give further reason to limit hormone therapy primarily to the area where all agree it is valuable — short-term treatment to relieve acute symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal discomfort. The latest findings contribute to the woes that have dogged hormone therapy for the past two years. Although the treatment was once touted as an anti-aging elixir to ward off chronic illness and make women feel more energetic, mentally sharper and more sexually responsive, a series of studies have questioned its presumed benefits and highlighted the risks. In July 2002, federal health officials halted a large-scale trial of a combined estrogen-progestin pill that was causing more harm than good, notably by increasing the risk of breast cancer, heart disease and strokes. Now a part of the study that used estrogen alone for women who had had hysterectomies has also been halted. This was a closer call — the dangers were fewer and expert advisers were split. But the estrogen pills clearly increased the risk of stroke and may also have increased the risk of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, undercutting the belief that the pills are good for mental alertness. The most encouraging finding was that estrogen alone, unlike the combination pills, did not increase the risk of breast cancer. That should relieve many women who have taken estrogen for years. The hormone treatments clearly reduce the risk of hip fractures. Even so, health officials recommend that hormone therapy for hips be considered only for women at significant risk of osteoporosis who can't take alternative medications. The best advice is to use the lowest dose for the shortest time possible.
© 2004, The New York Times.
The Women’s Menopause Health believes the best advice is to avoid synthetic hormone replacement therapy altogether and seek out effective and healthful means of relieving menopause symptoms. We encourage you to read through the web site to learn more about natural hormone replacement therapy. [includes/estrogen_cream_product.htm] |
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