Posted on 06/28/2004 8:02:12 PM PDT by neverdem
WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - Hormone replacement therapy may be especially dangerous for older women with diabetes, researchers said Monday.
A group of doctors led by Barbara Howard, president of MedStar Research Institute in Washington, studied 423 women past menopause who had atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries.
The women who had abnormal glucose tolerance - meaning that they had diabetes or a precursor - and who took hormones had changes in their blood suggesting they had a higher risk of heart disease, Dr. Howard's team reported in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
The study was based on an analysis of the Women's Health Initiative, the large continuing study that found two years ago that hormone replacement raised the risk of heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer in postmenopausal women.
"People once thought that hormone therapy could prevent heart disease in women, especially in women with diabetes, who have an increased risk," Dr. Howard said. "But this study provides evidence that hormone therapy should not be used to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in women with diabetes or pre-diabetes."
Despite such findings, many experts say hormone replacement can be safe and useful for short-term relief of some of the debilitating symptoms of menopause. And in another report, published in the June issue of Fertility and Sterility, doctors said younger women just entering menopause might be at risk of heart disease from the treatment.
Dr. Frederick Naftolin of Yale University and his colleagues noted that few women in their 40's and early 50's took part in the Women's Health Initiative.
Dr. Marian Damewood, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, which publishes the journal, agreed, saying, "The effects of hormone therapy on the health of a woman in her 40's just beginning the menopausal transition will be different from its effects on a woman 15 years older."
PING
They should take this off the market. Not day goes by when I have a customer complaining about HRT. There's a DO nearby that does natural HRT and the one customer that went raves about it.
Natural HRT? Please explain.....
Does the doc compound herbs? What goes into it?
http://womensissues.about.com/library/weekly/aa080202a.htm
and there's a wild yam extract that is by prescription only too. I believe that's what the article above is talking about. The DO's name is Christopher Calapai. Pretty interesting stuff in plant pharmacology.
They are bioidentical hormones. I currently am on progesterone and it has saved my life. I had headaches, muscle tingling, back pain, terrible PMS, insomnia, depression....etc. I finally found a doctor that figured out what was wrong with me and it truly cured me.
I don't know if posting the link to his practice website would violate Freeping rules, but if you would like it, let me know.
see my post #6
I'm not a doctor by any means. I just do a lot of reading working in a health food store. There are more MD's using bioidentical hormones but DOs are really at the forefront of the movement. My mother was taking HRT and stopped. Now she just takes herbs but for the ladies with extreme cases I think asking one's doctor about it is good.
Thanks. My problems are minimal, probably because I've eaten a lot of soy based food for 10 years, but was wondering....I too STUDY health "foods and herbs."
I've decided to go back to school and study it professionally. There's a lot of good things that can be done with certain foods and herbs. Soy is good. Some of my customers are allergic to soy but eat other things like yams and the like.
Here's the link to my doctor's website. There's a lot of good backround info that I thought might be helpful.
http://www.hotzehealth-wellness.com/
Thanks. I never did feel taking hormones was safe and haven't very much. Good thing. As you know, I am diabetic. Sometimes, it pays to listen to gut feelings.
Thanks for the link. Bookmarked
Thanks for the links.
Good for you. I understand that some homeopathic medicine has been hijacked by snake oil salesmen but some of it is underestimated and needs to be studied. After all, humans have used this form of medicine for 30,000 years and we've made it this far.
I had the opportunity to discuss the past's pharmacology with a historical medical expert from Williamsburg. It was fascinating.
Regarding historical pharmacology, I am working on getting a copy of the United States Dispensatory. There are snakeoil salesman and as such I do my best to educate myself for my customer's sakes. My sole piece of advice is to not buy anything over the radio but ask me first because I always find something cheaper and better quality. Plus I cross check with drug references,etc.
If you like to read, get 'Back to Eden' by Jethro Kloss.
I just turned 35 but have been having problems for awhile. Last year I found out that my testosterone is quite low, as is my estrogen. I smoke so Dr's will do nothing for me (one Dr recommended birth control pills).
I would like more information, but even a women's center Dr was totally unsympathetic. I don't have a clue what to do at this point.
I have some ideas that I'll freepmail to you.
Aw-oh, I guess we will have to put the women that are on hormone therapy on the ATKINS diet. That would solve the diabetes problem.
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