Menopause News Flash: research, news and information

hormone replacement therapy (hrt or ht) news

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against hormone therapy for postmenopausal women.

However, here are some contradicting studies/comments:

Dr. Wulf Utian of Case Western Reserve University and Dr Tobie de Villiers, president of the International Menopause Society (IMS) comment on the USPSTF recommendations in Heartwire.

The Danish Study – Their objective was, “To investigate the long term effect of hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular outcomes in recently postmenopausal women.” They concluded:  “After 10 years of randomized treatment, women receiving hormone replacement therapy early after menopause had a significantly reduced risk of mortality, heart failure, or myocardial infarction, without any apparent increase in risk of cancer, venous thromboembolism, or stroke.”  More info on the Danish Study.

The findings, reported in the Journal, Neurology, add to evidence suggesting that taking hormone treatments around the time of menopause may be doing more than just helping women cope with hot flashes and night sweats. Hormone therapy may cut Alzheimer’s risk in menopausal women.

The KEEPS Study also has some new relevant information.

other health news

A study led by Xuehong Zhang, M.D., of the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Department of Medicine, reveals that blood hormone levels can predict breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women for up to 20 years. The findings were presented at the 11th Annual International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, sponsored by the American Association for Cancer Research.

New research helps explain why women in menopause confront that dreaded belly fat and muffin top!

Healthy lifestyle lowers the risk of breast cancer before, during and after menopause, say researchers.  Delving into female memory loss – Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study suggests menopause memory loss isn’t as severe as often thought and bounces back in postmenopause.

The Lighter Side:

menopause on stage

Don’t miss Menopause the Musical – a show celebrating menopause and women. Save $5 on tickets for the for the fall shows by using the promo code REDHOT! There is a limit of four tickets per person. This offer is not valid on previous purchases or premium seats, and cannot be combined with any other offer. Click here for a list of dates and purchase options.