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WOMEN'S HEALTH
When a Cure Becomes a Culprit: Female Hormone Replacement
By Andrea Garrett
CBN News Reporter
For years, doctors have prescribed hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women.
CBN.com – Earlier this year, the National Institutes of Health [NIH] suddenly cancelled the biggest study ever conducted on hormone replacement therapy for women. Scientists discovered that even though the drugs relieve some menopause symptoms, they may actually do more harm than good.
That left a lot of women confused about what to do as menopause approaches, and many others concerned about damage that may have already been done.
For years, doctors have prescribed hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women. Physicians believed these synthetic hormones would help ease the symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, osteoporosis and heart disease.
The women in the NIH study were taking synthetic versions of two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. This hormone therapy was supposed to shield menopausal women from heart attack and stroke.
But NIH scientists found that women who took the combination drug, sold under the brand name "Prempro," actually had more heart attacks and strokes than women who were given a placebo.
Dr. Jaques Rossouw with the Women's Health Initiative said, "Women should not start or continue this therapy to prevent heart disease. The findings show it doesn't work. In fact, the therapy increases the risk of heart attack or stroke."
The study also found that women taking the two synthetic hormones together increased their risk of breast cancer — by 26 percent.
For years, doctors have treated menopausal women with the single hormone estrogen. Estrogen therapy alone may not carry as many risks as the combination drug. But researchers have linked long term use of estrogen therapy to an increased risk of breast cancer.
That leaves many women fearful of hormone replacement therapy [H.R.T.], and wondering what other options they have as they approach their menopausal years.
Some doctors and nutritionists believe that foods and botanical products containing natural estrogen provide a safer way to get relief from the symptoms of menopause. And such products do not cause the risky side effects of H.R.T.
Many health care providers insist taking the right supplements, eating a healthy diet, and getting enough exercise can all help make the change of life easier.
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