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Hrt, Breast Cancer, And Bioidentical Hormones


The symptoms of menopause are akin to labor pains in that they feel like they will go on forever, yet they herald the birth of new life. In fact, whilst perimenopause lasts a lot longer - from 5 to 10, or up to 13 years, it is not an indicator of how 'life will be'. Menopause is a time of growth and adaptation, and our bodies are an intimate part of the journey. The symptoms associated with menopause intimately reflect the flux of the body's hormonal systems.

Menopause can be extremely disruptive, however. Whether it's sleeplessness, menopause related depression, hot flushes, vaginal dryness, or emotional swings, the good news is that these symptoms can be alleviated. A good menopause treatment will help many seemingly diverse symptoms, as they are all related to the root hormonal flux in the body.

HRT is one choice, popular with doctors, and one that many women have found extremely useful. But what is often not understood, is that there are different types of hormone replacement therapy, even amongst those prescribed by doctors.

Premarin is one of the best well know, and oldest, types of hormone treatment. Premarin is made from the urine of pregnant horses, and is an estrogen only hormonal pill. It was advocated as being beneficial for, amongst other things:

* thickening vaginal tissue
* helping depression
* stopping hot flushes
* preventing heart disease, osteoporosis, and alzheimers

However, research has also found a link between estrogen-only supplementation and breast cancer. The cells in the breasts and the uterus are responsive to estrogen. So to add estrogen in, without the checks and balances intrinsic to our normal hormonal system, can stimulate the growth of this tissue.

What many believed was a mitigating factor in premarin's favor was the belief that it helped prevent heart disease. This presumption was based on the fact that premarin lowered LDL cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol had earlier been identified as a risk in developing heart disease. However, this belief has been found to be unsupported in several large clinical trials. In one involving women who had heart disease, those taking premarin (in combination with a synthetic form of progesterone which was given with premarin to prevent endometrial cancer), these women actually significantly increased their risk of having another heart attack in the first year of use. This risk leveled off after that, but it didn't provide any heart protective effects. In a study with healthy women, hormone replacement with premarin, with or without a synthetic progesterone supplement, did not decrease the risk of heart attacks or heart disease.

Another drawback to premarin and other hormone replacement therapies is the way they are often prescribed, in a kind of 'one size fits all' way, irrespective of a woman's size or medical history.

But the news is not all bad with HRT therapies. When premarin was developed, there was not the ability amongst scientists to produce other types of estrogen. Because the estrogen in horses is not natural in women, side effects like bloating, headaches, and sore breasts are common. And because the breakdown products of estrogen from horses are so strong, actually more active in the body than the original horse estrogen, they have a pronounced effect on estrogen sensitive tissues, such as the breast. And given that numerous studies have shown that these metabolic by-products can produce changes in the DNA of cells that are carcinogenic to living tissue, it is no surprise that the incidence of breast cancer increases when women take premarin.

But there are alternatives. Bioidentical hormones are developed from soy beans or yams, and their chemical structure is designed to reflect that which is found in women's bodies. Further, bioidentical hormones are not usually given in a standardized, 'one size fits all' dose, but tailored to a woman's presenting history. They are generally given at low doses, and because chemically they behave more like regular estrogen, they are not associated with the side effects of premarin, although they have not been used in the large scale studies that premarin has.

By: Rebecca Prescott
Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Rebecca Prescott presents more information on hormone replacement therapy here.

Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone Replacement Therapy


Hormone replacement therapy or HRT has become a controversial issue in the past few years.
Beginning in the 1960s estrogen was touted as the "wonder drug" to allow women to age more slowly.
By the mid 1970s conjugated equine estrogen which was marketed under the name premarin was the most often prescribed drug in the U.S.
The drug is derived from the urine of pregnant mares and animal rights advocates have for many years tried to promote public awareness of the cruelty to these animals and their offspring in the production of premarin source National Women's Health Network 1995

In 1975 two studies showed an increase in the rate of uterine cancer in women taking estrogen replacement. As more women became aware of these studies the use of estrogen declined in the US.
Later studies showed that combining estrogen and progesterone reduced these risks in women with a uterus and seemed to protect them from the rapid bone loss which occurs after menopause.

A study was started in the 1990s to determine if HRT was effective at reducing heart disease on post menopausal women. (The women's health initiative or WHI)The study was supposed to last for 9 years but was halted in 2002 (after 5 years) because of the increased risk for invasive breast cancer and heart disease among participants. It was concluded at that time that the risks out weighed the benefits to continue the study.
After various studies it was concluded that for short term relief of menopausal symptoms (1-4 years) HRT benefits outweighed the risks.
The decision to continue long term HRT is one that the patient and her physician should decide based on the woman's history and risk factors. The woman should be given all the information required to make an informed decision.
At this time new drugs and no hormonal therapies are being tested. The benefits of exercise, diet and the properties of some herbs are being studied as awareness increases.

With more and more of the baby boom generation entering menopause other cultures are being looked at more closely, where women generally have a lower incidence of heart disease and breast cancer and also experience far fewer symptoms of menopause.
In conclusion Menopause is not a disease but a natural and inevitable part of the aging process. The experiences and research generated by the baby boom generation may well lead to later generations of women having much more information and understanding of the changes taking place in their bodies and help them to be more proactive in making the decisions which will affect their health into old age.

By Nurse Margie
Article Directory:http://www.articledashboard.com

Nurse Margie is an RN licensed in the state of Texas. Practise areas include OB/Gyn and neonatal care.
Visit the website and discussion forums http://nursemargie.com

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