Wednesday May 21 / 2008

Wednesday May 21/2008

12:10: The Health Roundup with Jay McQueen.

12:12-12:45: Time to talk fertility! It’s been a while.
Guest (in-studio, taking calls): Dr. Ed Hughes, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Past-President CFAS.

12:45: Rexall Radio Health Matters segment.
Guest: Irene Hogan.

Summit Concludes Hormone Therapy Is Safe !

Global Menopause Summit concludes HRT is safe for healthy women entering into menopause. HRT in the early postmenopausal period is safe for healthy women going through the first few years of menopause who need HRT to relieve symptoms should have no fears about its use. This is the conclusion and clinical advice of the First Global Summit on Menopause Related Issues, which was held in Zurich on March 29th and the 30th / 2008. The Zurich Summit was attended by global experts in menopause and related issues. It reviewed the evidence on the safety, risks and benefits of HRT in the first few years of menopause, looking at 4 main areas of controversy; cardiovascular health, breast issues, cognition and bone issues. Summit members compared public perception with actual safety and are now issuing a state-of-the science summary, to enable women and clinicians to make informed judgments about whether or not to use HRT in early menopause. When the WHI study results were originally published in 2002, it was flawed. The initial results from the WHI study seemed to show that women taking HRT were at a greater risk of breast cancer and heart disease and this study had a dramatic affect on public perceptions and confidence in the use of HRT. However since the first publication of the study it has become apparent that the study group was not completely representative of women taking HRT, and was characterized by a high incidence of several important risk factors which are unusual in younger women around their menopause. The Zurich Summit was called to review the current evidence and to review the risks and benefits of HRT for women in early menopause. Forty of the world’s leading menopause experts met to review public perceptions, risks and benefits.

Conclusions:
• Combined oestrogen and progesterone do not increase chronic heart disease risk in healthy women aged 50-59. Oestrogen alone actually decreases risk in this group.
• Certain types of HRT can lead to a slightly increased risk of breast cancer; however this is minimal in relation to other breast cancer risks. Women with no prior use of estrogen alone actually had no increased risk in breast cancer as in the WHI. Short – medium use of oestrogen–only HRT does not show this affect.
• HRT is effective in maintaining bone health in 50 to 59 year old postmenopausal women
• HRT does not impair cognition in healthy women aged 50-59 and even may delay the decrease of cognitive functions in this group

HRT is a good and safe option for women entering into menopause. Of course each woman is an individual and HRT use should be decided after discussions with her doctor or a certified menopause practitioner.


Rexall Pharmacy #0202 Nadine Janacek
Blog Reporter