Posted on 03/30/2024 7:57:06 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
Prolonged use of certain progestogen hormone drugs is associated with an increased risk of developing a type of brain tumor known as an intracranial meningioma, finds a study.
Progestogens are similar to the natural hormone progesterone.
Meningiomas are mostly non-cancerous tumors in the layers of tissue (meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Researchers set out to evaluate the real life risk of intracranial meningioma requiring surgery in women associated with use of several progestogens with different routes of administration. They used data from the French national health data system (SNDS) for 18,061 women (average age 58) who underwent intracranial meningioma surgery from 2009–2018.
The progestogens examined were progesterone, hydroxyprogesterone, dydrogesterone, medrogestone, medroxyprogesterone acetate, promegestone, dienogest, and levonorgestrel intrauterine systems. For each progestogen, use was defined as at least one prescription in the year before hospital admission or within 3-5 years for levonorgestrel intrauterine systems.
After the researchers took account of other potentially influential factors, they found that prolonged use (a year or more) of medrogestone was associated with a 4.1-fold increased risk of intracranial meningioma requiring surgery. Prolonged use of medroxyprogesterone acetate injection was associated with a 5.6-fold increased risk, and prolonged use of promegestone was linked to a 2.7-fold increased risk.
There appeared to be no such risk for less than one year of use of these progestogens.
As expected, there was also an excess risk of meningioma for women exposed to chlormadinone acetate, nomegestrol acetate, and cyproterone acetate, all of which are known to increase the risk of meningioma. However, results showed no excess risk of meningioma for progesterone, dydrogesterone, or the widely used hormonal intrauterine systems, regardless of the dose of levonorgestrel they contained.
No conclusions could be drawn about dienogest or hydroxyprogesterone, as the number of exposed individuals was too small.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Their “results showed no excess risk of meningioma for progesterone, dydrogesterone, or the widely used hormonal intrauterine systems, regardless of the dose of levonorgestrel they contained.”
If you need to take one for endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, menopausal hormone therapy, or for other concerns, it appears progesterone, dydrogesterone, or hormonal intrauterine systems had no excess risk for such brain issues.
So aaah, just regular risk then?
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