That’s another one of the overblown stories.
The problem with hormone therapy was that we were giving it to women because they were at risk for heart disease - not to treat the symptoms of menopause and not just to prevent osteoporosis.
It turns out that some women with certain types of heart disease got worse on a combination of estrogen and progesterone that was taken every day, Prempro. The ones who didn’t have heart problems in the first few years and the women who had had a hysterectomy and so could be given only estrogen didn’t have more heart attacks than the population that didn’t take the hormones.
http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZO87VGF0F&sub_cat=0
There’s also an increase in the first few years of hormone sensitive breast cancer (probably because cells that are there are stimulated) and some increase in blood clots and strokes, but less colon cancer a fewer hip fractures.
However, for most women, HRT was and is no problem. And we’re finding out that there’s some benefit for some women.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_55237.html
In the meantime, women go out and spend tons of money buying soy products, black cohosh, yam creams or evening primrose oil, without knowing the actual concentration of the active ingredient in the product they’re buying. This isn’t a criticism, but an observation - I use a few of the better researched and better formulated supplements - it’s just not “okay” because it’s “natural.” If it has an “effect” it’s bound to have side effects.
http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZSPYZT5FD&sub_cat=2002
The US Government's Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) database indicates that there have been 7 deaths associated with administration of Gardasil. Age is listed for four of the girls who died at: 11, 12, 15 and 19.
VAERS lists 3,137 reported adverse effects stemming from Gardasil. The database is voluntary and thus is unlikely to include all adverse effects from the vaccine.
The database, placed online by the National Vaccine Information Center, also indicates 44 adverse effects associated with the vaccine's administration were considered "life threatening." In 94 cases, vaccine recipients required hospitalization.
And what's the horrifying risk and complication level associated with PAP smears that makes you think this is a better deal?
American Cancer Society Report Finds Breast Cancer Death Rate Continues To Drop
Check out the bits on HRT.
When the medical profession manages to repeal the Law of Unintended Consequences, I'll be first in line for this stuff :)