Updates

Menopause is a natural event and so, understandably, many women are keen to use complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) to try to manage symptoms such as hot flushes. However, all therapies, including CAMs like herbals, carry risks. Many women resist taking hormone therapy for fear that it might accelerate the appearance of breast cancer. But… Read More

2009 Update: Educational lectures on HRT and menopause now available to members - read more »… Read More

Current research on the diversity of hormone replacement therapy (HRT)-related effects does not necessarily focus on traditional issues, such as quality of life, cardiovascular disease, bone protection or cancer. Some studies highlight the effects of HRT on other organs and systems that are rarely addressed in the context of menopause medicine. Tint and colleagues [1]… Read More

Mortality due to breast cancer in American women is similar to that due to coronary heart disease in the age group 45–59 years old. Because of this, it is of utmost importance to establish the potential impact of hormone therapy (HT) around the time of menopause on breast cancer. Recent analyses of the Women’s Health… Read More

Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database, a population-based cancer registry covering 26% of the US population, Sprehn and colleagues were able to compare survival rates with marital status at the time of diagnosis in cancer patients [1]. A total of 3.9 million people were included in the analysis of all-site cancers. Survival… Read More

The role of the endothelial cell in secreting the important local regulatory substances that control the vascular system has been established for many years [1, 2]. The cells produce several smooth muscle relaxing factors such as nitric oxide (NO), which is derived from the transformation of the amino acid L-arginine by the activity of NO… Read More

Osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease is characterized by the breakdown of articular cartilage, which leads to rubbing and friction of adjacent bones and consequent local inflammation, pain and impaired movement. Osteoarthritis is associated with aging and is more prevalent in menopausal women, suggesting a role for female hormone deficiency in its etiology [1]. A recent… Read More

Sleep complaints, which are very common in the menopause, may have a substantial impact on quality of life, but can be improved by hormone replacement therapy through its beneficial effects on nocturnal hot flushes and sweating, periodic limb movements and bruxism. However, sleep quality may be also affected by sleep breathing disorders, a situation that… Read More

Back pain is a very common complaint and may be associated with various etiologies, among which osteoarthritis, discopathy and spinal stenosis are probably the most prevalent in the postmenopausal period. Osteoporosis per se, without a fracture or a change in vertebral morphology, is usually considered a silent disease condition. A recently published study in Japan… Read More

Endometrial polyps are usually benign, localized overgrowths of endometrial tissue that are covered by epithelium and contain variable amounts of glands, stroma and blood vessels. They are most commonly found in perimenopausal women, with a prevalence among the general symptomatic female population of up to 50% and even higher if asymptomatic women are included. Hormone… Read More