The Women's Health Initiative study - prematurely halted in 2002 in
the name of public health and safety - dealt a surprising and powerful
blow to the medical community and women taking hormone replacement
therapy.
The in-depth study not only contradicted the perceived benefits of
hormone replacement therapy in reducing heart disease, it actually found
that using hormone replacement therapy placed women at a higher risk of
heart disease, as well as breast cancer and other serious health
concerns.
For years doctors routinely recommended hormone replacement therapy
to reduce the symptoms of menopause
as well as to ward off heart disease. Women who otherwise would not
consider taking hormone replacement therapy did so because they thought
hormone replacement therapy would reduce the risk of heart disease. Many
women overlooked the known risk of increased breast cancer for the sake
of a healthy heart.
That all took a quick turnabout when the
Women's Health Initiative
halted an eight-year study just five years into the study. Researchers
concluded that the risks to the test group of women on hormone
replacement therapy outweighed the benefits of continuing the study.
The Women's Health Initiative trial, sponsored by the National
Institutes of Health, studied the relationship between hormone
replacement therapy (combined estrogen and progestin) and heart disease,
bone fractures, breast cancer, endometrial cancer and blood clots. The
trial did not study the effect of hormone replacement therapy on
menopause symptoms or other health conditions.
The study found women on hormone replacement therapy experienced a
significant increased risk for breast cancer, coronary heart disease,
strokes and blood clots.
- The Women's Health Initiative study found women taking hormone
replacement therapy have a 29 percent higher risk for heart disease.
- The Women's Health Initiative study also found women taking
hormone replacement therapy have a 26 percent higher risk for invasive
breast cancer. The longer a woman stays on hormone replacement
therapy, the greater her risk for breast cancer.
- The Women's Health Initiative study also found women taking
hormone replacement therapy have a 41 percent increased risk of
strokes and blood clots.
The Women's Health Initiative study confirms earlier studies showing
an increased risk of breast cancer with hormone replacement therapy. The
new study also showed that the breast cancer risk drops back to normal
six months after discontinuing hormone replacement therapy, no matter
how long the woman had been on hormone replacement therapy. That aspect
of the study should comfort women concerned about past hormone
replacement therapy usage. Although the study did show benefits to
hormone replacement therapy (37 percent decrease in colon cancer and 24
percent reduction in bone fractures), researchers did not consider those
benefits strong enough to outweigh the harms of hormone replacement
therapy.
Hormone replacement therapy refers to the use of estrogen or a
combination of estrogen and progestin medication for menopausal and
postmenopausal women. Physicians typically prescribe a combination of
estrogen and progestin for women who have not had a hysterectomy since
the risk of endometrial cancer is too high for women who still their
uterus.
Before the Women's Health Initiative findings, hormone replacement
therapy was generally prescribed to relieve the symptoms of menopause
(such as hot flashes, insomnia
and mood swings), to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and to reduce the
risk of heart disease.
Doctors leaned on the findings of earlier observational studies that
indicated that hormone replacement therapy reduced the risk of heart
disease. However, these earlier observational studies were not a
detailed and specific as the sophisticated Women's Health Initiative
study which used a "double-blinded" method of compiling and comparing
data.
With the more accurate findings refuting earlier studies, the U.S.
Preventive Services Task Force now recommends against the regular use of
combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy for
menopausal and postmenopausal women.
The portion of the Women's Heath Initiative study researching
estrogen alone continues. We cannot be sure that this hormone
replacement therapy regimen is safe without more definitive data. Until
that time, women taking the estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy
should be aware of the possibility of increased health risks.
Now What?
With hormone replacement therapy now fallen from grace, women are
rethinking their decision to take hormone replacement therapy and are
searching for alternative
treatments more now than ever before.
Before considering hormone replacement therapy, women should question
why they would consider hormone replacement and weigh the benefits and
detriments of hormone replacement therapy. It is important for women to
discuss hormone replacement therapy questions and concerns with their
physician.
Women taking hormone replacement therapy solely for the perceived
benefit of preventing heart disease should discontinue hormone
replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy is no longer
recommended for the prevention of heart disease.
The prescription for reducing the risks of heart disease remains the
same as it always has; stop smoking, start exercising regularly, lose
weight and watch your diet. It's the same information doctors and health
care organizations across the country tell their male patients on a
daily basis.
Women should consult their physician before starting a new exercise
and diet regime. Women at a high risk for heart disease should also
consult their physician about medications specifically targeted to
reducing high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.
If osteoporosis prevention is a consideration for taking hormone
replacement therapy, there are other medications and therapies that
carry lower risks for breast cancer or heart disease. The risks of
hormone replacement therapy are just too great.
If relieving the symptoms of menopause is the primary reason for
considering hormone replacement, women should look to viable, healthful
and effective alternatives to hormone replacement therapy. Whatever the
reason for considering hormone replacement therapy, Vaxa's Preserve
offers an excellent alternative. Preserve effectively and naturally
reduces menopause symptoms and allows women to experience the time of
natural reproductive change with little disruption to normal life
functioning.
Preserve is a unique formula designed to stabilize hormonal pathway
dysfunction and/or imbalance. Preserve will not interfere with
complementing prescription strategies.Preserve - coupled with Vaxa's
Endocrin, an excellent product to promote hormone balance and improve
libido, and External-In, a fantastic anti-aging formula - effectively
and naturally increases the quality of life for women in the prime of
their life.
For all women, lifestyle changes go a long way in keeping bones and
heart healthy while warding off cancers and reducing the symptoms of
menopause. Regular weight-bearing exercise like walking or jogging is a
top recommendation.
When discontinuing hormone replacement therapy, some women choose to
go "cold turkey" while other women prefer a more gradual approach. Women
should consult their physician as to the best method of stopping hormone
replacement therapy.
Women discontinuing hormone replacement therapy can experience heavy
vaginal bleeding and the recurrence of menopausal symptoms. Using Vaxa's
Preserve will alleviate these problems.
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