Category Archives: Hormone Replacement Therapy

A type of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) reserved for women without wombs protects against breast cancer long after treatment is stopped, a study has found. Scientists followed the progress of some 7,500 women who took oestrogen-only HRT for seven years and were monitored for a further 4.7 years. They were 23% less likely to have developed develop breast cancer than other women in the study who were given a "dummy" placebo treatment. Those in the HRT group who did develop the disease were also 63% less likely to die from their condition. Oestrogen-only HRT is known to be linked to cancer of the womb and for this reason only given to women who have undergone a hysterectomy. The more common form of HRT containing both oestrogen and the hormone progesterone has been said to increase breast cancer risk, although the claim is controversial. The new results, published online in The Lancet Oncology journal, come from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), a major US study of post-menopausal women launched in 1993. They show that women who had oestrogen-only HRT for around seven years and then stopped continued to enjoy long-lasting protection against breast cancer. But the benefit had to be balanced … Continue reading →

LOS ANGELES - Many women who used just estrogen as hormone replacement therapy after menopause had a lower risk of developing breast cancer up to five years after they stopped taking it, a study has found. The research, published Tuesday, adds another twist to the story on whether hormone replacement therapy helps some women beyond treating menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and poor sleep quality. The report follows a landmark Women's Health Initiative, a clinical trial of tens of thousands of women begun in 1993 that sought to clarify the risks of two hormone replacement therapies in postmenopausal women: estrogen plus progestin, and estrogen alone, taken by women who have had hysterectomies. The double-hormone arm of the study was halted abruptly in 2002 after scientists found that it raised the risk of breast cancer without conferring hoped-for benefits. In 2004, the estrogen-alone study was also halted after researchers discovered an increased risk of stroke and blood clots. At the time, it was not clear how estrogen alone affected breast cancer risk. But research since then found that estrogen alone did not increase risk and maybe even lowered it. The new study, published in Lancet Oncology, provides the strongest evidence … Continue reading →

(CBS/AP) Estrogen therapy, a type of hormone replacement therapy, has been linked to a greater risk for heart attack and breast cancer in women by previous research. A new study however shows women who take estrogen following menopause actually had a lower risk of breast cancer - even years after the study. Estrogen pills: Are health risks overblown? PICTURES: 25 breast cancer myths busted The new research found women who had a hysterectomy who took estrogen-only pills for about six years were about 20 percent less likely to develop breast cancer than those who didn't take the hormone, and the benefit lasted for at least five years. "If women are suffering from serious menopause symptoms and have had a hysterectomy, then estrogen alone is a reasonable approach," said study author Dr. Garnet Anderson, a professor of biostatistics at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. Women have long been prescribed estrogen pills after a hysterectomy or to relieve hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause, and the pills were once believed to be good for bones, the heart and have other health benefits. For the 12-year study, published online in March 7 issue of Lancet Oncology, researchers tracked more than … Continue reading →

Perhaps if there were other really effective medications to treat menopausal symptoms people wouldn't care so much about the safety of hormone replacement therapy. But there aren't medications that work as well as estrogen alone (for women who have hysterectomies) or estrogen plus progestin (for those with a uterus) to stop hot flashes, night sweats, sleep problems, foggy thinking, vaginal dryness, mood swings and other problems that crop up for some women during the menopausal transition. That's why studies such as one released Tuesday that further clarify the safety of hormone replacement continue to remain of keen interest to women and their doctors. Researchers reported Tuesday that women who took estrogen alone had a decreased risk of breast cancer incidence and death up to five years after stopping the medication. Taking estrogen alone, however, is still linked to an increased risk of blood clots and stroke. And the decreased risk with estrogen use was not found among women who had an elevated risk for breast cancer due to family history or benign breast disease. The study is a follow-up of the Women's HealthInitiative, which examined the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy on many aspects of health and quality … Continue reading →

Many women who used estrogen alone as hormone replacement therapy after menopause had a lower risk of developing breast cancer up to five years after they stopped taking it, a study has found. The research, published Tuesday, adds another twist to the evolving story on whether hormone replacement therapy helps some women beyond treating menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and poor sleep quality. The report is a follow-up analysis of the landmark Women's Health Initiative, a clinical trial of tens of thousands of women begun in 1993 that sought to clarify the risks and benefits of two hormone replacement therapy regimens in postmenopausal women: estrogen plus progestin, which most women must take, and estrogen alone, taken by women who have had hysterectomies. The double-hormone arm of the study was abruptly halted in 2002 after scientists found that it raised the risk of breast cancer without conferring hoped-for benefits on the heart. In 2004, the estrogen-alone arm of the study was also halted after researchers discovered an increased risk of stroke and blood clots. At the time, it was not clear how estrogen alone affected breast cancer risk. But research since then found that estrogen alone did not increase risk … Continue reading →

TUESDAY, March 6 (HealthDay News) -- Some women who take estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy to stave off hot flashes, night sweats and other symptoms of menopause may be at lower risk for developing breast cancer down the road, a news study says. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) fell from grace rather dramatically after a large government-run trial, the U.S. Women's Health Initiative, was stopped early in 2002 because HRT was shown to increase the risk of strokes and breast and ovarian cancer. Since that time, however, some subtleties have emerged as researchers parsed the evidence further. For example, short-term use of HRT is now deemed fairly safe for some women who have severe menopausal symptoms. The new study shows that longer-term use of estrogen-only therapy may actually lower a woman's odds of developing breast cancer. Estrogen-only therapy is reserved for women who have had a hysterectomy; women with an intact uterus who use HRT must take the hormone progestin with estrogen to prevent uterine cancer. "Women who have had a hysterectomy may be reassured that taking estrogen by itself, short term, to relieve menopausal symptoms will not increase their risk of breast cancer," said study author Garnet Anderson of the Women's … Continue reading →

While some forms of hormone replacement therapy have been found to increase breast cancer risk, therapies that use only estrogen may actually protect women against the disease, a new study says. Women in the study who took estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for six years were 23 percent less likely to develop breast cancer five years after they had stopped the therapy compared with women who never received HRT. Women who took estrogen-only HRT were also less likely to die of breast cancer. The findings mostly apply to women who have had a hysterectomy, as this is the group most likely to take estrogen-only HRT. The therapy raises the risk of uterine cancer, so the therapy is usually not prescribed for other women. "These latest results should provide reassurance about breast safety," for women taking estrogen for about five years after a hysterectomy for relief from postmenopausal symptoms, said study researcher Garnet Anderson, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. However, the researchers said they do not recommend estrogen-only HRT as a way to reduce breast cancer risk in general. The lowered risk was not found in women with a family history of the disease, and the therapy … Continue reading →

PAULA GOODYER Can the contraceptive pill or Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) make it easier to gain weight? Some women say they do, but science isn't so sure. The jury's still out on whether the pill increases weight and a recent review of research into HRT and weight concluded there was no evidence that HRT added any more to the extra kilos that many women gain around menopause anyway. But research scientists Dr Vita Birzniece and Professor Ken Ho from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research have a different view. They believe that taking added oestrogen in pill form can make it harder for women to offload fat - a problem that starts when the hormone reaches the liver. "When women take oestrogen orally it goes directly to the liver where it interferes with the liver's ability to burn fat," Dr Birzniece explains. "Previous research here at the Garvan has shown that it's how women take this extra oestrogen that's important - when women take HRT in a patch form rather than a pill, the extra oestrogen bypasses the liver and doesn't affect fat burning - for this reason women are better off taking HRT in the form of a skin … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Therapeutics - Pipeline Assessment and Market Forecasts to 2018 http://www.reportlinker.com/p0661223/Growth-Hormone-Deficiency-GHD-Therapeutics---Pipeline-Assessment-and-Market-Forecasts-to-2018.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=Therapy Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Therapeutics - Pipeline Assessment and Market Forecasts to 2018 Summary GlobalData, the industry analysis specialist, has released its new report, "Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Therapeutics - Pipeline Assessment and Market Forecasts to 2018". The report is an essential source of information and analysis on the global Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Therapeutics market. The report identifies the key trends shaping and driving the global Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Therapeutics market. The report also provides insights on the prevalent competitive landscape and the emerging players expected to significantly alter the market positioning of the current market leaders. Most importantly, the report provides valuable insights on the pipeline products within the global Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Therapeutics sector. This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalData's team of industry experts. Scope The report provides information on the key drivers and challenges of the Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) Therapeutics market. Its scope includes … Continue reading →

SECAUCUS, N.J. and MIAMI, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Panasonic Healthcare Group and CardioNexus Corporation announced today that they will outfit AAG Health & Wellness practices with the Panasonic CardioHealth Station. A leading Age Management and Hormone Replacement Therapy Center in the United States, AAG Health & Wellness will utilize the Panasonic CardioHealth Station, one of the latest ultrasound medical technologies, in their locations across the nation to support early heart disease detection and enhance their age management medicine programs. The Panasonic CardioHealth Station is designed to assist medical professionals in making a quick and valuable assessment of cardiovascular health and has been cleared by the FDA for use in the automated acquisition of carotid artery intima-media thickness to help ascertain cardiovascular risk. The Panasonic CardioHealth Station continues to gain the attention of preventive medical professionals, like AAG Health, who recognize that the best ways to reduce long-term healthcare costs is to apply cutting-edge technology to detect signs of disease at an early stage.  "AAG Health is proud to announce the acquisition of Panasonic's newest offering which provides our patients with the latest in diagnostic testing. AAG Health's Age Management, Healthy Aging and Hormone Treatment programs will incorporate the Panasonic CardioHealth Station as … Continue reading →