Monthly Archives: September 2008

Why The Physician Payments Sunshine Act is So Important

A New York Times editorial published yesterday, “Whose Best Interest?” called upon all pharmaceutical companies to voluntarily participate in an online database of all payments made to doctors for speaking and consulting services. They also stated their support for a Senate bill, the Physician Payments Sunshine Act, which would establish a mandatory national registry of payments of all kinds to physicians – including gifts, payment for clinical investigations and stock options .

Why is this important to menopausal women? … [Read more]

Can’t Sleep? Try These New Products To Keep You Cool & Comfy

Because it’s Menopause Awareness Month, I’ve been receiving a lot of emails about products aimed at helping women ease, or at least cope with, the most disruptive symptoms of menopause – hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia. I haven’t tried them myself, but you might find them helpful.  Here are a few to consider:

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Ten Fall Foods That Reap Health Benefits

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Menopause and High Blood Pressure – Is There a Connection?

I came across a startling fact in this month’s Berkeley Wellness Letter. Apparently, hypertension drugs have replaced hormone therapy as the No. 1 medication for women age 45-64.  Another article, this one in The Mayo Clinic’s Women’s HealthSource, about blood pressure changes in women as they age, stated that womens’ systolic pressure – that’s the top number in a BP reading and the one that’s more closely associated with heart disease risk and stroke in people over age 50- increases by about 5 millimeters of mercury with menopause.  So, is there a correlation between rising blood pressure and declining estrogen levels?

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