Steven V. Joyal
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 The risk of breast cancer associated with hrt in 54,548 postmenopausal women who had never taken any hrt was studied in the E3N-EPIC (National Education System-European Prospective Investigation into Cancer & Nutrition) study. hrt containing synthetic progestogens was associated with a 40 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer as opposed to no increase in risk with hrt that contained micron-ized progesterone.
When it comes to metabolic function, studies suggest that synthetic progestogens may worsen insulin sensitivity. |
Marshall Editions
See book keywords and concepts |
 Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is effective at relieving hot flashes following menopause; however, hrt is not recommended for use for longer than five years. Discuss this treatment option with your doctor.
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THRT: Treating hot flashes involves stabilizing hormones during the menopausal period. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which involves increasing the levels of female hormones in the body, is the most effective way of achieving this, but it is currently a controversial form of treatment. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
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 In 2002 and 2003, the Women's Health Initiative demonstrated that hrt actually increased the risk of both breast cancer and cardiovascular disease and breast cancer32 and as well increased the risk of Alzheimer's Disease—though hrt had been thought to increase cognitive activity.33
"Deja vu, all over again," muttered Fran, quoting another president.
For all these problems, the increased risks were termed "small." What "small" means is that HRT's use was responsible for 3,500 cardiac disease events, 2,000 breast cancers, 4,000 strokes, and 5,000 cases of pulmonary embolism per annum. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
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 HRT with Kava, 23% for hrt alone (p<0.05 for hrt groups), 53.3% for estrogen with Kava and 25.8% with estrogen, and placebo (p<0.05). All women met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety, with a HAM-A score of at least 19 (De Leo et al, 2001).
Insomnia
The Kava special extract WS® 1490was found to be particularly effective in alleviating anxiety-related sleep disturbances (non-psychotic) in a multi-center, double-blind, 4-week clinical study involving 61 individuals randomized to receive either daily doses of 200 mg WS®1490 or placebo. |
Mary-Ann Shearer
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 I have personally dealt with many women who have developed breast cancer after being on hrt, which resulted in radical mastectomies. hrt is not the wonder cure it is made out to be. Many women have found that their bone density is worse after being on hrt. A huge study observing more than one million women, conducted in the U.K. by Cancer Research U.K., National Health Services, and the Medical Research Council, indicated that chances of breast cancer are increased by 50 percent when on hrt. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
See book keywords and concepts |
| A survey conducted in 1995 showed that about 38% of women aged 50 to 75 were using hrt. At the turn of millennium, some 55 million postmenopausal women were on hrt.30
Yet there were problems. Several studies done in the late 1990s found that many of the expected benefits never materialized; even worse,
HRT raised the risk of the very diseases—breast cancer and heart disease—that it was purported to prevent. |
Mary-Ann Shearer
See book keywords and concepts |
| I have personally dealt with many women who have developed breast cancer after being on hrt, which resulted in radical mastectomies. hrt is not the wonder cure it is made out to be. Many women have found that their bone density is worse after being on hrt. A huge study observing more than one million women, conducted in the U.K. by Cancer Research U.K., National Health Services, and the Medical Research Council, indicated that chances of breast cancer are increased by 50 percent when on hrt. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See article keywords and concepts |
 Mike: That's exactly what they're getting, and they've been getting it for decades under hrt.
Lucille: Right. And so let's think about that. What were the two claims of hrt? Cardiovascular protection -- okay, we all know that that's not true; in fact, causing more harm than good -- and skeletal health. But we all know that there's more to skeletal health than hrt and estrogen, because I have plenty of women in my practice who have had hysterectomies and have been on hrt for a long time, and they have severe osteoporosis.
Mike: So, what else do you cover in your book, by the way? |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
See book keywords and concepts |
| What "small" means is that HRT's use was responsible for 3,500 cardiac disease events, 2,000 breast cancers, 4,000 strokes, and 5,000 cases of pulmonary embolism per annum. For those women who are part of these numbers, they are, of course, life-changing events. Yet, despite the way it might sound, this is indeed a small fraction of the total population of users. However, any risk, no matter the size, is not worth taking if there is no counterbalancing benefit. As it turns out, the purported benefits of hrt never materialized. |
H. Winter Griffith, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Others:
• For postmenopausal women, the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which combines estrogen and progestin increases slightly the risk for breast cancer, heart attacks and stroke. hrt does not prevent heart disease. hrt is effective for menopause symptoms (used short term), and helps protect against osteoporosis and colon cancer. Other treatments are available for osteoporosis. Discuss with your doctor if hrt is the right treatment for you.
• Patients with diabetes must be monitored closely. Consult doctor if changes in blood glucose levels occur. |
Thomson Healthcare, Inc.
See book keywords and concepts |
| The women were divided into 3 groups and were followed for 6 months; diet intervention group (average 47 mg/day of isoflavones) (n=53), hrt group (n=53, type and dose not specified), and control group (n=58). The biomarkers of bone turnover measured were osteocalcin, N-telopeptide-C, hydroxyproline, and cortical and trabecular bone mineral density. A significant decrease in bone turnover was demonstrated only in the hrt group (p<0.05). Osteocalcin levels significantly increased in the Soy diet group (5.45; 0=0.36 to
10.5; p<0.05). |
| Forty menopausal women (either physiological or surgical) for 1 to 12 years were assigned to one of 4 treatment groups: combination estrogen and progestin (HRT) with Kava extract (55% kavain) 100 mg daily (n=13); hrt plus a matching placebo (n=9); estrogen alone plus Kava extract 100 mg daily (n=ll); or estrogen plus placebo (n=7) for 6 months. Significant reductions HAM-A scores from baseline were demonstrated at 3- and 6-month follow-up in all groups (p<0.05). Significant differences were also observed between the Kava-supplemented groups and those given placebo (p<0.05). |
Ray D. Strand
See book keywords and concepts |
 Doctors are recommending these drugs more and more instead of hrt, primarily because of the growing concern over the adverse effects of long-term hrt therapy. Short-term studies using these drugs have demonstrated a significantly decreased risk of fractures and repeat fractures.11 For a thorough discussion about these and other problems women face during their menopausal time, I recommend Dr. Christiane Northrup's book, entided The Wisdom of Menopause.
Not Just Calcium-Bones Are Living Tissue
Remember Mr. Bones, the skeleton that graced the back of the biology room in high school and college? |
Bottom Line Health
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| But several large studies have linked long-term hrt with an increased risk of breast cancer, dementia, heart attack and stroke.
Fortunately, there are safer, natural alternatives to hrt.
MORE THAN JUST ESTROGEN
People typically attribute menopausal symptoms to the declining production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. But poor eating and lifestyle habits also play a role by overtaxing the adrenal glands. For women who are going through menopause, the adrenal glands are nature's backup system. |
Richard P. Brown, M.D., and Patricia L. Gerbarg, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 Long-term studies that identified hrt as a risk factor for breast and uterine cancers have left most women wondering what they can do to preserve their health and vitality for as long as possible.1'6 Few want to gamble on hrt, even in lower doses—especially since claims of protective effects against heart disease and dementia have turned out to be untrue.5 In fact, the very latest research suggests that hrt actually raises the risk of heart disease and dementia.8'9 But if not hrt to manage menopause, then what? |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
See book keywords and concepts |
| At the turn of millennium, some 55 million postmenopausal women were on hrt.30
Yet there were problems. Several studies done in the late 1990s found that many of the expected benefits never materialized; even worse,
HRT raised the risk of the very diseases—breast cancer and heart disease—that it was purported to prevent. |
H. Winter Griffith, M.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
| Others:
• For postmenopausal women, the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) which combines estrogen and progestin increases slightly the risk for breast cancer, heart attacks and stroke. hrt does not prevent heart disease. hrt is effective for menopause symptoms (used short term), and helps protect against osteoporosis and colon cancer. Other treatments are available for osteoporosis. Discuss with your doctor if hrt is the right treatment for you.
• May interfere with the accuracy of some medical tests. |
Steven V. Joyal
See book keywords and concepts |
| HRT containing synthetic progestogens was associated with a 40 percent increase in the risk of breast cancer as opposed to no increase in risk with hrt that contained micron-ized progesterone.
When it comes to metabolic function, studies suggest that synthetic progestogens may worsen insulin sensitivity. There is also evidence that women of childbearing age who use contraceptives that contain synthetic progestogens may be at increased risk for gestational diabetes. |
Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
See article keywords and concepts |
| What were the two claims of hrt? Cardiovascular protection -- okay, we all know that that's not true; in fact, causing more harm than good -- and skeletal health. But we all know that there's more to skeletal health than hrt and estrogen, because I have plenty of women in my practice who have had hysterectomies and have been on hrt for a long time, and they have severe osteoporosis.
Mike: So, what else do you cover in your book, by the way? We've touched on a few subjects.
Lucille: Well, detoxification, I think, is where hormonal health starts. Digestive issues. |
John J. Ratey, MD
See book keywords and concepts |
 In recent years, however, this assumption has been overturned, and now many doctors simply won't prescribe hrt.
The controversy erupted in 2002 when researchers at the National Institutes of Health noticed some alarming statistics for a group of postmenopausal women participating in one of a series of
Women's Health Initiative studies. The women undergoing hrt had a 26 percent higher risk of breast cancer, a 41 percent higher risk of stroke, and a 29 percent higher risk of heart attack. |
| Better fitness seems to offset the decline women would otherwise experience if they had never had hrt or if they had had it for more than ten years.
One of the theories from rodent research is that with long-term hrt, estrogen receptors in the brain begin to break down in the hypothalamus, the area that activates the immune response. And if the hypothalamus is not working correctly, women would be more vulnerable to diseases such as cancer. |
Ray D. Strand
See book keywords and concepts |
| The pharmaceutical companies quickly responded to this negative report by convincing the doctors that the benefits of hrt far outweighed the risks, often boasting that other clinical trials had shown that patients who took hrt decreased their risk of heart attacks, strokes, and Alzheimer's dementia.10
Two other major studies, however, the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin
Replacement Study (HERS) and The Women's Health Initiative Study, did not show any slowing of the progression of heart disease. |
Mark Sircus
See book keywords and concepts |
 Concerns about safety and effectiveness are causing a retreat from the blanket use of hrt. An estimated 30%-45% of women who receive prescriptions for hrt will not have their prescriptions filled or will discontinue therapy within 12 months of initiation.7
Crucial link between Cholesterol, Magnesium and Hormones
It is impossible to consider estrogen and progesterone in isolation from other hormones and from precursors like cholesterol and magnesium. All steroid hormones are createdfrom cholesterol in a hormonal cascade. |
Gerald E. Markle and Frances B. McCrea
See book keywords and concepts |
| Even so, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, which produces Prempro, the most popular brand of hrt, projected profits of about $1.5 billion for 2004.
For us, the story of ERT, and then the almost repeat story of hrt, is frustrating. Numerous clinical studies show that there is little or nothing to be gained from estrogen treatments, and much to be lost. Yet a confluence of interests—pharmaceutical companies pushing drugs for diseases that they invented, professional imperialism, and the cultural stereotyping of aging women—has too much momentum to stop. |
Andreas Moritz
See book keywords and concepts |
 For this reason, hrt can only temporarily reduce the rate of bone density loss; it cannot stimulate the body's bone-building cells to produce more bone material.
The body is extremely reluctant to utilize synthetic drugs. It knows what it natural and what is fake. Hence the difference of effects between natural and synthetic progesterone. The main reason for poor progesterone production in the body is congestion in the liver, reproductive organs, and other organs of elimination, as well as an unbalanced diet and lifestyle
What Really Causes Brittle Bones? |
Tori Hudson, N.D.
See book keywords and concepts |
 In addition, physician advisory organizations no longer recommend that hrt be used to reduce the risk of heart disease.
The question really is, does hormone replacement therapy benefit women, and, if so, which hormones, in what form, in what dose, and in whom is it beneficial?
In determining the best plan of action, it is important that each woman is individually assessed for her heart disease risk. |
Bottom Line Health
See book keywords and concepts |
| Fortunately, there are safer, natural alternatives to hrt.
MORE THAN JUST ESTROGEN
People typically attribute menopausal symptoms to the declining production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. But poor eating and lifestyle habits also play a role by overtaxing the adrenal glands. For women who are going through menopause, the adrenal glands are nature's backup system. When the ovaries decrease their production of estrogen and progesterone, the adrenals have the ability to produce hormones to compensate for this. |
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