Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: July 13, 2007
Our heads are spinning as more and more hormone therapy news is released. Feeling dizzy? So am I! Actually, my spins are steadying because it looks as if the news is staying consistent for the time being.
Back in April of this year, researchers said the effect of hormone therapy on risk of heart disease varied by age and years since menopause. OK, I can deal with that. In June, studies were released that found younger women (ages 50-59) who received a standard dose of estrogen alone therapy had significantly less coronary artery calcification than those women taking a placebo. OK, things were staying consistent here.
It’s now July and today, another study was released. It confirms hormone therapy should not be used in older women to prevent heart disease but for younger women, it may be a sensible choice. Hooray! This news is starting to sound more familiar and the surprises that have popped up in the past are tapering off.
The latest news is from the WISDOM trial (Women’s International Study of Long Duration Oestrogen After Menopause). The study enrolled 5,692 healthy women from Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. The average age of the participants was 63 and they were followed for about a year.(FYI-The average age of menopause is 51.4 yrs). The older women, in the WISDOM Trial taking hormone therapy experienced more cardiovascular events and blood clots compared to women taking a placebo; although for the younger women, it appears to be safe and effective for relieving menopausal symptoms.
Much of the data released this year seems to have a common theme: the age at which a woman begins hormone therapy remains an important factor in assessing the benefits and risks associated with the therapy. Much of the research clearly shows that hormone therapy is turning out to more beneficial and less harmful for younger women.
How do doctors think WISDOM fits into the bigger hormone therapy picture? “WISDOM confirms that there’s no justification for older women using hormones for prevention of heart disease,” says Dr. Wulf H.Utian, executive director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). “But for a generally healthy perimenopausal or early postmenopausal woman suffering from genuine menopause-related symptoms that are causing her distress, then hormones are the gold standard and are basically safe.”
This is very reassuring, isn’t it? These results all mesh nicely with other observational studies that have always shown a protective estrogen effect. Most of these 2007 studies show the risks of HT are more important for women who are beyond the initial phase of menopause. Therefore, women who are in the early phase of menopause experiencing symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness should be reassured they can consider HT as an option.
The key point for women considering hormone therapy is to take the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration. It’s important for us to stay up-to-date on the issues, to understand the multitude of available treatment options and discuss them with our doctors. Armed with the right information, we can manage our symptoms better.
Hormone therapy does not have to be a life-long commitment. For some women experiencing hot flashes/night sweats who cannot find relief in other ways, the benefits of hormone therapy in short term may outweigh the risks. “NAMS is saying that even though it seems that younger women may get some preventive effect, that should be taken as a reassurance but not as a single reason in itself to prescribe hormones,” Dr. Utian says. Talk about the latest information on hormone therapy and menopause with your doctors and each other. It is your health, your body, your mind so take charge of it!
To talk with other women about hormone therapy, visit our bulletin boards.
References:
Gardner, A., 2007, “Another Study Sees Heart Risks in Hormone Replacement Therapy,” HealthDay News, June 12, 2007; retrieved June 12, 2007 from: http://healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp?docID=606314
Vickers MR, MacLennan AH, Lawton B, Ford D, Martin J, Meredith SK, et al. Main morbidities recorded in the women's international study of long duration oestrogen after menopause (WISDOM): a randomised controlled trial of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. BMJ 2007 doi: 10.1136/bmj.39266.425069.AD
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/bmj.39266.425069.ADv1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=
10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=WISDOM&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT
