Published February 13, 2015 An analysis of over 50 studies suggests an association between short-term use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) during menopause and a 40 percent increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. The study, published Thursday in the journal The Lancet, reviewed data from 21,488 women who lived in North America, Europe and Australia. Researchers observed that women who used HRT for only a few years were more likely to develop the two most common types of ovarian cancer, compared to women who had never taken HRT. Those types are serous epithelial and endometrioid ovarian cancer. HRT use was not linked to an increased risk of the other two main types of ovarian cancer: mucinous and clear cell ovarian cancers. HRT for menopause is meant to replace hormones that the body no longer makes after menopause. Doctors used to prescribe it as a standard treatment to relieve hot flashes and other menopause symptoms, according to the Mayo Clinic. A large clinical study later suggested one type of the treatment the estrogen-progestin pill Prerempo posed more risks than benefits, and doctors started to become less inclined to prescribe it as a result. Those risks included heart disease, stroke, blood clots … Continue reading →

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) pills have mixed risks and benefits in relation to heart disease and stroke depending on when women start taking them. A large-scale evidence review showed that, overall, oral HRT does not protect against heart disease and may increase the risk of stroke. However, data from a sub-group of younger women more representative of the majority of patients found a reduced risk of death from any cause and from heart disease linked to the treatment, even though the likelihood of blood clots was slightly raised. The review looked at almost 4,000 studies from around the world involving some 40,000 participants and included two large American investigations which recruited women as old as 79. Around 9,000 women formed the sub-group who were prescribed the treatment at, or not long after, the menopause. Lead researcher Henry Boardman of Oxford University said: The evidence we have provides some support for the so-called timing hypothesis, but we should bear in mind the size of this effect. When we looked at the results according to the age of women, or by how long since their menopause that they started treatment, we found that if 1,000 women under 60 years old started hormone … Continue reading →

Taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for the menopause, even for just a few years, is associated with a significantly increased risk of developing the two most common types of ovarian cancer, according to a detailed re-analysis of all the available evidence, published in The Lancet. The findings from a meta-analysis of 52 epidemiological studies, involving a total of 21488 women with ovarian cancer, almost all from North America, Europe and Australia, indicate that women who use HRT for just a few years are about 40% more likely to develop ovarian cancer than women who have never taken HRT. "For women who take HRT for 5 years from around age 50, there will be about one extra ovarian cancer for every 1000 users and one extra ovarian cancer death for every 1700 users"*, explains study co-author Professor Sir Richard Peto from the University of Oxford in the UK. Although HRT use fell rapidly about a decade ago, this decrease has now levelled off and in the UK and USA alone about 6 million women are still taking HRT. Existing WHO, US and European HRT guidelines do not mention ovarian cancer, and UK guidelines (currently being revised) state only that ovarian cancer … Continue reading →

Menopausal women who take hormone replacement therapy boost the risk of ovarian cancer by 40 percent, even if they take the treatment only for a few years, a study says. The probe marks the widest analysis of the risk of ovarian cancer from HRT, a treatment whose use declined when its safety was questioned a dozen years ago. Researchers publishing in The Lancet on Friday carried out an overview of 52 published studies, covering nearly 21,500 women in Australia, North America and Europe who had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. An outside commentator, Rod Baber, a professor of gynaecology at the University of Sydney and president of the International Menopause Society, said the study had brought much-needed clarity. Previous studies have found either a significant increase in cancer probability, or none at all. In absolute terms, though, the risk for women using HRT "is very, very low", Baber cautioned. The disease has been dubbed a "silent killer" as it is often spotted too late. "For women who take HRT for five years from around age 50, there will be about one extra ovarian cancer for every 1000 users, and one extra ovarian cancer death for every 1700 users," said Richard … Continue reading →

There's more evidence that hormone therapy might not be so bad for women just starting menopause. The latest Cochrane review supports the evidence that taking hormones does not lower the risk of heart disease for women past menopause. Cochrane reviews are meant to be authoritative, top-line recommendations But the review of 19 different studies involving more than 40,000 women also shows that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) isn't especially dangerous for women, either. "The take-home message is if you want to take hormones, you should be reassured," said Dr. Isaac Schiff, chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital. Hormone replacement therapy used to be standard for women going through menopause. The idea was that giving women back the estrogen their bodies were no longer producing would protect them against heart disease, cancer and osteoporosis. Less importantly to doctors, it also relieved the hot flashes, sleeplessness and other life-altering symptoms of menopause. "The take-home message is if you want to take hormones, you should be reassured." Then a large study showed that in fact, HRT raised the risk of cancer, especially breast cancer and didn't lower the risk of heart disease. Almost overnight, women stopped taking it. While as many … Continue reading →

As a hormone specialist, I see male patients all the time who want to be checked for low testosterone. Its a smart move on their part. Testosterone affects more than sex drive and erections. It plays a key role in energy, happiness, memory, mood, muscle strength and self-confidence for men. Some men with low testosterone levels say they feel theyve lost their edge. One man told me that he used to love fishing, and now he didnt feel like it at all. Its important to seek a solution for low testosterone. One option, however, has been vilified by the media over the past decade, and I want to help set the record straight. Last month, the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings released a review on testosterone therapy and cardiovascular risk, finally putting misconceptions about testosterone therapy to rest. A few poorly conducted, but well-publicized, studies suggested that testosterone therapy was unsafe and increased the risk of cardiovascular disease. But the overwhelming majority of scientific evidence shows that the exact opposite is true. Believe it or not, dozens of studies have shown that higher testosterone levels are associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease, not the other way around. Testosterone therapy … Continue reading →