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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
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CONTACT:
NHLBI Communications Office
(301) 496-4236
E-mail:
nhlbi_news@nhlbi.nih.gov |
September is National Menopause Awareness
Month:
NHLBI Offers Comprehensive Guidance for Women on Understanding
Menopausal Hormone Therapy
Women facing decisions about menopause and hormone therapy
can find comprehensive information in a new booklet from
the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
Facts About Menopausal Hormone Therapy provides
updated information on the hormone trials of NHLBI’s
Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) and summarizes the
risks and benefits of hormone treatment.
The long-term WHI hormone studies evaluated the effects
of menopausal hormone therapy on many health issues
facing women, including heart disease, breast cancer,
colorectal cancer, and osteoporosis. Still more information
was gained about quality of life issues and cognition.
In 2002, the WHI estrogen-plus-progestin study was
stopped because of an increased risk of breast cancer
and because, overall, risks from use of the hormones
outweighed the benefits. The combination therapy increased
the risk for heart attack, stroke, and blood clots.
The hormone treatment also reduced the risk for hip
and other fractures, and colorectal cancer. Two years
later, the WHI estrogen-alone study was halted because
of an increased risk of stroke and no significant
effect on the risk of heart disease. Estrogen-alone
also increased the risk for venous thrombosis (blood
clots deep in a vein). Like the combination therapy,
estrogen-alone reduced the risk for hip and other
fractures.
The new booklet describes these research findings
in detail and describes the current guidance on the
use of menopausal hormone therapy. New study findings
on the effects of combination therapy on cognition
and urinary incontinence are also included.
“For women with menopause symptoms, making personal,
informed decisions about hormone therapy can be challenging
and often confusing. We’re providing an in-depth
resource to help women understand the issues and discuss
them with their health care providers, “said
NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D.
In addition to a detailed description of WHI and other
research findings on hormone therapy, the booklet
addresses alternatives to hormone therapies that can
alleviate menopause symptoms, provides a check-list
for discussing hormone therapy with a physician, and
a comprehensive list of health screenings that all
women of menopausal age should be including in their
health regimens.
Facts
About Menopausal Hormone Therapy can be downloaded
free of charge (at http://emall.nhlbihin.net/product2.asp?source=&sku=05-5200).
Printed copies can be ordered online or by phone through
the NHLBI
Health Information Center, 301-592-8573 or 240-629-3255
(TTY).
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