GETTY A study of hundreds of thousands post menopausal women found those who used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for more than a decade were less likely to develop the devastating neurological disorder. The finding suggests the sooner patients begin the medication after reaching that time of life, the better. Dr Bushra Imtiaz, who presented the results in her doctoral thesis, said: The protective effect of hormone therapy may depend on its timing. It may have cognitive benefits if initiated at the time of menopause when neurons are still healthy and responsive. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, and two out of three cases are women. One possible explanation for the higher risk is they produce less of the sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone after the menopause, which HRT replenishes. GETTY Oestrogen receptors are present throughout the body, including brain areas mainly affected in Alzheimer's. In lab experiments and animal studies, the hormone has been shown to protect against the loss of brain cells, or neurons. But studies on humans have yielded inconsistent results on the association between postmenopausal oestrogen based HRT and dementia risk. GETTY Dr Imtiaz, of the University of Eastern Finland, explored the association between … Continue reading →

The CDC says about 38 percent of American adults are considered clinically obese and 71 percent are overweight. Research shows that hormone imbalance can have a huge impact on this back-and-forth weight gain. Wellness experts are seeing how balancing the hormones can help with weight loss. In her hormone therapy clinic, Terri DeNeui says the benefits of hormone replacement therapy go beyond increased energy levels, mood and libido. That's what happened to Brandy Prince, a nurse practitioner, who had no energy, and a pattern of losing and gaining weight over and over. "I was obese at 208 pounds and I felt terrible, I felt terrible about myself, I got out of bed every morning and everything just hurt," she said. Using pellets that are inserted under the skin, Brandy got testosterone, which helped her build muscle and her thyroid levels were increased. She slept better and she lost weight, eventually more than 50 pounds. "So the weight loss was not something that I expected or anticipated, but it was definitely a wonderful benefit," she said. "It's not just my physical size, but my entire confidence, and my self-esteem has changed. I'm not the same person," Brandy said. Doctors say this … Continue reading →

What do you believe? Are you prepared to open your mind to new facts? Cognitive psychologists tell us that most people cling to what they already believe and are so averse to changing their minds that new facts only make them cling to their old beliefs even MORE stubbornly. So, are you prepared to open your mind? As of 2016, millions of women do not believe that estrogen therapy reduces breast cancer risk. In fact, they feel sure that it increases the risk. But new research confirms lots of old research. The answer to the question in the title is TRUE. Why do so many women hold mistaken beliefs about estrogen, mistakes that cause them to avoid taking estrogen when it is such a beneficial hormone and could save their lives? There are three main sources of misinformation: 1) Misunderstood findings from the Womens Health Initiative (WHI), a large study released in 2002. 2) Misunderstanding estrogen therapy for women who've had a hysterectomy versus those who haven't. 3) Misunderstanding anti-estrogen treatments for breast cancer. EmpowHER has previously focused on how so many people were misled by reports of the WHI findings, so we will only briefly discuss it here. The … Continue reading →

Kirsty started HRT immediately after her hysterectomy to reduce the symptoms of menopause NEWSNIGHT presenter Kirsty Wark has revealed the struggles she endured going through the menopause after ditching a common therapy used to treat its symptoms. Kirsty was using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) after she began her menopause at the age of 47. Rex Features But research suggesting the therapy could increase a womans chance of breast cancer prompted Kirsty to cease the treatment, after which she suffered adifficult menopause. Kirsty, now 62, began her menopause after having a hysterectomy. The operation caused her body to stop producing the female sex hormone oestrogen because her ovaries, which are responsible for the secretion o the hormone, were removed. She began HRT immediately to limit her symptoms but revealed in aBBC Scotland documentary, The Insiders Guide to the Menopause, that the cancer link made her abandon the treatment after three years. Getty Images - WireImage She said: I was on HRT for three years after my hysterectomy but stopped suddenly because of this scare. I came off HRT and actually my symptoms have not really gone away in the last 10 years. My main symptoms are night sweats and bad sleep … Continue reading →