Apr. 30, 2013 Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) significantly improves muscle function -- down to the muscle fibre level -- in postmenopausal women, a new study published today [1 May] in The Journal of Physiology shows. Some studies published over the last decade have led to negative publicity around HRT, a treatment used to relieve symptoms of menopause, resulting in many women being reluctant to use it. However this new study offers a positive outcome from the treatment. Previous studies, monitoring walking speed and jumping height, have suggested that HRT reduces the impacts of age-related decline in muscle mass and strength. This new study is the first to explore these effects at cellular and molecular levels. The research team observed pairs of postmenopausal identical twins -- of whom only one of each pair was receiving HRT -- in order to rule out genetic differences, and then performed close examination of muscle biopsies taken from them. Dr Lars Larsson, from Uppsala University Hospital Sweden, who led the study, said: "We found that even though individual muscle fibres did not change in size, the muscles of HRT users showed greater strength by generating a higher maximum force compared to non-HRT users. It is … Continue reading →

Washington, May.1 (ANI): Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helps strengthen muscle function considerably - down to the muscle fibre level - in postmenopausal women. Previous studies, monitoring walking speed and jumping height, suggested that HRT reduces the impacts of age-related decline in muscle mass and strength. But the new study observed pairs of postmenopausal identical twins - of whom only one of each pair was receiving HRT - in order to rule out genetic differences, and then performed close examination of muscle biopsies taken from them. Dr Lars Larsson, from Uppsala University Hospital Sweden, who led the study, said that the team found that even though individual muscle fibres did not change in size, the muscles of HRT users showed greater strength by generating a higher maximum force compared to non-HRT users. He said that it is thought that using HRT, at least in part, reduces modifications of muscle contractile proteins that are linked to ageing. Larsson asserted that HRT is also associated with a more efficient organisation of myonuclei - essential components for muscle fibre function. He said that in HRT users, the different myonuclei arrangement optimises cellular level protein transport that leads to improved muscle function. Larson said that … Continue reading →

Bern, May 1 (IANS) Swiss scientists have proved that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can improve muscle strength and fibre function in women, says a study. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) significantly improves muscle function -- down to the muscle fibre level -- in post-menopausal women, said a new study published Wednesday in The Journal of Physiology. Some studies published over the last decade have led to negative publicity around HRT, a treatment used to relieve symptoms of menopause, resulting in many women being reluctant to use it. This new study, however, offers a positive outcome from the treatment, reports Science Daily. Doctor Lars Larsson, from Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden, who led the study, said: "We found that even though individual muscle fibre did not change in size, the muscles of HRT users showed greater strength by generating a higher maximum force compared to non-HRT users." "It is thought that using HRT, at least in part, reduces modifications of muscle contractile proteins that are linked to ageing," said Larsson. See the article here: Hormone replacement adds muscle to women: Study … Continue reading →

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) -Though long-term hormone replacement therapy has serious health risks, going off the medication may lead to a return of menopausal symptoms and increased risk for high blood pressure, according to a new study. Taking estrogen or estrogen and progesterone hormones can help alleviate some bothersome symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, vaginal dryness and trouble sleeping, but the United States Preventive Services Task Force recommends that postmenopausal women avoid the therapy due to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and breast cancer. The risks were widely publicized after the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study results were published in 2002. Despite those risks, "for some women there may be definite benefits (of hormone therapy) that have not been realized," lead author Dr. Michelle Warren of Columbia University Medical Center in New York told Reuters Health. The new study, which was funded by Pfizer, manufacturer of Prempro and Premarin hormone replacement drugs, included 310 postmenopausal women aged 56 to 73 who had been on hormone therapy for at least five years. The women were divided into three groups: those on continuous hormone therapy, those who stopped taking the hormones briefly and went back … Continue reading →