Category Archives: Hormone Replacement Therapy

Healthy middle-aged women who take hormones to ease the misery of hot flashes and night sweats have fewer depressive symptoms, less anxiety and tension, and better and more sex than those who do not, according to a new study. Though the long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy could not be measured by the new research, it did offer some reassuring findings. It suggested that some women's cholesterol profiles and metabolic function might improve on hormone replacement therapy and that blood pressure did not rise during or after a relatively brief stay on hormone replacement. Participants taking oral hormone replacement pills reported, on average, a slight improvement in their ability to recall printed materials they had read. But for women who received hormones through a transdermal patch, subjective reports of memory problems increased slightly, as did their severity. As expected, women who got hormone replacement maintained more bone density than those who did not. The results from the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study, known as KEEPS, were presented Wednesday at the North American Menopause Society's annual meeting in Orlando, Fla. The study is likely to fuel a growing willingness among American women and their physicians to turn to replacement hormones, after … Continue reading →

Washington, October 3 (ANI): Surgeons at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center's Institute for Regenerative Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC, have moved a promising step closer to helping infertile, premenopausal women to produce enough eggs to become pregnant. They have been able to stimulate ovarian cell production using an in vitro rat model, and observed as the cells matured into very early-stage eggs that could possibly be fertilized. "While conventional hormone replacement therapy is able to maintain female sexual characteristics, it's unable to restore ovarian tissue function, which includes the production of eggs," the study's authors reported. Ovarian tissue function is critical for premenopausal women who desire to conceive. Several fertility disorders can leave premenopausal women without an adequate amount of eggs. These disorders can also prevent a woman's ovaries from secreting enough of the hormones that stimulate egg production. Events such as ovarian operations, an injury, or radiation therapy for cancer can interfere with ovarian function, according to Anthony Atala, MD, FACS, director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine and chair of the department of urology at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Although the causes may vary, about 10 percent of childbearing-age women struggle with infertility, meaning that … Continue reading →

Genetic analyses found herbs similar to black cohosh were being sold in commercial preparations of the popular remedy, possibly explaining mixed results and casting doubt on supplement label accuracy By Katherine Harmon A pure pill? Some black cohosh pills sequenced did not contain black cohosh at all, but rather entirely different plant species. Image: iStockphoto/OlgaMiltsova Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way... Read More When hormone replacement therapy was found to put some menopausal women at increased risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, many went in search of safer treatments to decrease their symptoms. In the ensuing decade black cohosh has won out as an overwhelming consumer favorite, now reaping millions of dollars in sales each year. But controlled trials of this supplement have seen mixed results, sometimes showing it to be effective in relieving hot flashes, sleep disruptions, mood swings and other symptoms whereas other times revealing it to be ineffective. And some case reports even suggest that it can be toxic, damaging the liver. This messy track record gave Damon Little, a bioinformaticist at The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Sept. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --While there is some skepticism about male menopause there is no question that age-related changes in men impact testosterone level. Between pharmaceutical marketing and our sometimes-carefree trust in prescription medicine, a drastically climbing number of men are turning to androgen therapy for prostate cancer. Prostate cancer treatment expert and leading robotic prostatectomy SMART surgeon, Dr. David Samadi, urges men and their physicians to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with caution. (Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120917/NY75460 ) "Increased risk of prostate cancer is a very possible long-term side effect of testosterone replacement therapy," he says. "It concerns me that young men in their mid-30s or early-40s may count on testosterone for a boost in energy or sexual prowess and get much more than they bargained for in the long run." Dr. Samadi refers to the link between testosterone and prostate cancer risk. Male menopause, or andropause, symptoms occur much more gradually than menopause symptoms in women. Around age 35 or 40, a man's testosterone level naturally begins to decline at a rate of about 1-2% per year, making the term "pause" not entirely accurate. Normal testosterone level, at any age, is measured in a range of 300 to … Continue reading →

Exhaustion from sleepless nights convinced Vancouver public relations consultant Diana Barkley to try hormone replacement therapy five years ago. The 50-something professional says she was aware of news reports suggesting a link to breast cancer and heart problems, but decided to look for more information. Insomnia, night sweats and hot flashes - all part of menopause for many women - were becoming unbearable. "That makes it nearly impossible to work effectively. The night sweats are uncomfortable, obviously. The hot flashes during the day, if you're in the middle of a presentation and you get one, it's very discomforting and it's also very distracting." For the uninitiated, a hot flash is a short-lived feeling of heat that typically starts in the chest area and spreads. It can lead to blushing and perspiration and affects about three-quarters of woman as their estrogen levels decline. Symptoms typically begin when women stop having regular menstrual periods in their early 50s and continue for years. Barkley said her research led her to the Westcoast Women's Clinic in Vancouver where she had a number of tests and extensive consultation. She's had the doses adjusted and combinations changed over the years and now takes a progesterone pill, … Continue reading →

MONTGOMERY, ALA. (September 7, 2012) A federal jury in Salt Lake City, Utah awarded $5.1 million to plaintiff Toshiko Okuda in a Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) case after hearing four weeks of testimony regarding the link between hormone replacement drugs and breast cancer. The jury determined that the HRT drug Prempro, manufactured by Wyeth, caused the plaintiffs breast cancer and that the drug makers failed to adequately warn of that risk on labels provided to doctors and patients. Frank Woodson, Russ Abney, Matt Teague and James Lampkin of Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C., of Montgomery, Ala., represented Ms. Okuda, along with James Esparza of James Esparza Law Firm in Murray, Utah. Hormone Replacement Therapy, including drugs such as Premarin, Prempro and Provera, was prescribed to treat the symptoms of menopause until 2002, when a comprehensive womens health study was halted as a result of increasing incidents of breast cancer. The drugs also were promoted for off-label uses, including prevention of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimers disease. The evidence in this case is obviously the drug makers knew of the risk of breast cancer associated with these drugs, but they did nothing to warn thousands of women who were … Continue reading →

Courts Jury finds hormone therapy led to breast cancer; drug companies vow to appeal. A federal jury awarded $5.1 million in compensatory damages to a Utah woman Friday after finding hormone therapy drugs caused her breast cancer and drugmakers were negligent because they failed to adequately warn of that risk on labels provided to doctors and patients. The U.S. District Court jury, comprised of seven women and five men, sat through four weeks of expert testimony and scientific presentations before being handed the case early Wednesday afternoon. They came back with a decision two days later. Toshiko Okuda, who filed her case in 2004, wept at the news after the jury left the courtroom. In a statement released later through James Esparza, her Utah attorney, Okuda said she was "pleased that the jury, after four weeks of hearing the facts of this case, elected to stand up and tell Wyeth and Upjohn that their conduct in marketing and promoting Premarin, Provera and Prempro was unreasonable and irresponsible for an American corporation." "I plan to move forward and will support other women when they have their day in court," Okuda added. "I want to thank all the attorneys and others involved … Continue reading →

A woman showsher cleavage. According to the study, other factors like higher body mass index (BMI) and larger bra and cup sizes also contribute to accelerated breast aging.Now, women can identify lifestyle behaviours that can slow the aging process to avoid surgical intervention, according to the study, which was funded by a grant from the Aesthetic Surgery Education and Research Foundation. For the last three years, plastic surgeon Hooman T. Soltanian of University Hospitals Case Medical Center and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, studied 161 pairs of twins.Its very rare that both twins have been through the same exact environmental factors throughout life, ABC News quoted him as saying.The idea was that they have the same [breasts] from a genetic standpoint. If we see a difference, its more likely to be environmental factors, he said. Soltanian collected data from consenting women between the ages of 25 and 74 at the annual Twins Days Festival in Twinsberg, Ohio.The average of the study participants was 45.5 years old.The twins come from all over the country for a weekend to have fun and celebrate, he said.We have been using that opportunity to study their breasts. Its not a … Continue reading →

WHAT IS HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY?: Hormone replacement therapy medications containing female hormones to replace the ones the body no longer makes after menopause used to be a standard treatment for women with hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. Hormone therapy (as it's now called) was also thought to have the long-term benefits of preventing heart disease and possibly dementia. Use of hormone therapy changed abruptly when a large clinical trial found that the treatment actually posed more health risks than benefits for one type of hormone therapy, particularly when given to older postmenopausal women. As the concern about health hazards attributed to hormone therapy grew, doctors became less likely to prescribe it. Hormone therapy is no longer recommended for disease prevention, such as heart disease or memory loss. However, further review of clinical trials and new evidence shows that hormone therapy may be a good choice for certain women, depending on their risk factors. (Source: MayoClinic.com) BENEFITS OF HORMONE THERAPY: Systemic hormone therapy contains systemic estrogen (pill, skin patch, gel, cream or spray form) and is the most effective treatment for relief of hot flashes and night sweats. Estrogen can also ease vaginal symptoms of menopause (dryness, itching, burning and … Continue reading →

PUBLISHED: 17:42 EST, 4 September 2012 | UPDATED: 06:41 EST, 5 September 2012 A study of identical twins has shown that breast feeding, daily moisturising and hormone replacement therapy positively affects how a woman's breasts age. However smoking, drinking alcohol and having multiple pregnancies can accelerate breast aging, according to researchers. The study, published today, shows how environmental factors, as well as higher body mass index (BMI) and larger bra and cup sizes can make breasts appear less beautiful over time. Twin Sisters in Tank Tops Side by Side --- Image by Annie Engel/Corbis Using 161 twins aged between 25 and 74 for the study, plastic surgeon Hooman T. Soltanian of University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio identified specific lifestyle behaviors that can slow the aging process in order to avoid plastic surgery. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, nearly 316,848 women had breast augmentations and 127,054 had breast lifts last year. Dr Soltanian told ABC News: 'It's very rare that both twins have been through the same exact environmental factors throughout life. 'The idea was that they have the same [breasts] from a genetic standpoint. If we see a difference, it's more likely to … Continue reading →