The sudden decline in breast cancer after 2002 can be attributed to women stopping hormone therapy following the Womens Health Initiative study, according to the findings of a new study that was published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine. … [Read more]
Melinda Beck’s “Health Journal” column in today’s Wall Street Journal focuses on “The 7 Things You Should Know About Hormones.“ She tries to clarify the debate over bio-identical hormone replacement therapy by offering 7 facts about bio-identicals, some of which are, well, debatable such as: don’t trust saliva tests, and hormones from compounding pharmacies aren’t safer than conventional HRT. I don’t know if those statements are true, but I do know that there is still principled debate on both sides.
The first global summit of 40 “menopause experts” convened last week to review the current evidence, risks and benefits of using hormone replacement therapy for women in early menopause. They concluded that HRT is indeed safe for healthy women entering menopause, despite what the 2002 government-sponsored WHI study showed. They went so far to state that women should “have no fears” about its use.” I don’t know about you, but I find that statement quite startling in light of all the research that has concluded that HRT poses a number of significant health risks.
I always suspected that biphosphonate drugs like Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, which are prescribed to women who show signs of osteoporosis, or bone-thinning, fell under the “too good to be true” category.
A study was conducted by researchers at the University of Arizona College of Nursing to determine the most common as well as the most severe symptoms of menopause. The findings?
Researchers have uncovered another risk for HRT users. In this case, post-menopausal women who are taking Estrogen only (only women who have had hysterectomies can take this type of therapy) are actually doubling their chances of getting non-cancerous breast lumps.
Can an anti-seizure drug help reduce hot flashes in menopausal women? That’s what researchers at the University of Toronto wanted to find out when they conducted a study involving 200 women, aged 45-60, who were having at least 14 hot flashes per week. Half of the women received Gabapentin, a drug used to control certain types of epileptic seizures; the others received a placebo. The results are encouraging.
At the top of the list of menopausal symptoms women complain about most frequently is the inability to have a decent night sleep,due to hot and cold flashes, and weight creep. The research to date has shown how sleep deprivation can be a factor in weight gain at any age. But apparently, too much sleep can be just as bad if the results of a six-year Canadian study holds water.
I just came across a recent study of middle-aged women, (1776 multi-ethnic women aged 47-59 to be precise), that concluded that overweight women are more likely to experience hot flashes and night sweats during menopause than women of normal weight. This finding contradicts an earlier hypothesis that a reserve of estrogen in body fat shields women from these symptoms. But the study’s researchers now think that excess fat makes it more difficult for the body to dissipate heat.
The study was published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
If you or someone in your family are experiencing serious adverse reactions from drugs or medical devices, you can now report it directly to the FDA’s Medwatch program by going to this website. (This is where medical product safety alerts, recalls and important labeling changes are disseminated to medical professionals and the public.) You’ll be given the option of taking the reporting form to your doctor (who is NOT required to report it to the FDA) or you can complete the online reporting form yourself.
There's a great line-up of speakers including Dr. Wayne Dyer, Cheryl Richardson and Dr. Lissa Rankin ("Owning Pink") at the next "I Can Do It" Ignite conference in San Jose, CA, March 17-18. Click here for details: I Can Do It IGNITE!
Quinoa isn't the only whole grain out there. This WSJ article describes seven of them. http://on.wsj.com/w5f8D6
For some people, Yoga can do more harm than good. Read this excerpt from “The Science of Yoga: The Risks and Rewards,” by William J. Broad, http://nyti.ms/wm6AHB
