Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: October 18, 2012
I just returned from the North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) 23 annual meeting held in sunny Orlando, Florida where Minnie Mouse sat in on a few talks about postmenopause. She may not be experiencing those hot flashes anymore, but low estrogen levels in the postmenopausal years can create some health concerns for Minnie and many others. Some interesting information came out of the meeting. I’ll share these tidbits with you on our website regularly.
The theme of the meeting was Midlife and Beyond: The Power of Prevention. The highlight of this NAMS meeting was the highly awaited results from the KEEPS Study (Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study).
KEEPS was a randomized study involving 700 women, aged 42-59, over a four year period. The research found that estrogen/progesterone treatment started soon after menopause appears to be safe; relieves many of the symptoms of menopause; and improves mood, bone density, and several markers of cardiovascular risk. This was reassuring news for women who are newly menopausal considering or taking hormone therapy to treat their menopausal symptoms.
There was also a KEEPS Cognitive arm of the study that 662 women participated in. The results revealed there were no adverse effects, nor were there any beneficial effects of hormone therapy on cognition either. Dr. Sanjay Asthana (University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, WI) said that HT enhances mood, depression and anxiety; there was no adverse cognitive effects found like in previous studies (WHIMS and HERS); there was a need for additional research in the area of cognitive functioning of menopausal women; and in newly menopausal women HT may be beneficial.
Another highlight at NAMS meeting was that 100 people took the NCMP (NAMS Certified Menopause Practitioners Test). Now, there are 700 NCMPs in North America that have passed this stringent exam who are available to help us acquire information and treatment through the menopause transition. For a listing of these NCMPs, log onto www.menopause.org. Also, read our article on Choosing the Right Doctor at Menopause.
