Word: estrogen
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Though last week's news raises big questions for anyone on hormone-replacement therapy, women taking birth-control pills shouldn't panic. True, these pills also contain estrogen and progestin, but most women take them before menopause, when their bodies are making more of their own hormones. So it's quite possible that their bodies are better able to handle the excess. In any case, it's impossible to extrapolate from the WHI study...
...rigid design, most doctors view the WHI as the definitive word on women's health. Final results were due out--and eagerly awaited--in 2005. But one part of the study, involving more than 16,000 women, was halted last week. These women were taking a combination of estrogen and progestin called hormone-replacement therapy (HRT). Researchers concluded that the risks of HRT clearly outweighed the benefits (see table). Though HRT may still be appropriate as a short-term therapy for menopausal distress, women cannot expect it to protect them in the long term against aging-related diseases. Other parts...
OSTEOPOROSIS HRT does keep bones from becoming brittle and reduces the risk of fractures. But there are other ways to keep bones strong that do not carry the same risks. These include calcium supplements, drugs like the bisphosphonates and weight-bearing exercise. A newer class of estrogen-like drugs called SERMs (raloxifene is an example) is also showing promise in reducing fractures without raising the odds of breast cancers...
SKIN When estrogen levels plummet after menopause, skin cells lose their elasticity and youthful appearance. Hair can become dryer and thinner. Though HRT can combat these hallmark signs of aging, the hormones do so at a high price. Creams and moisturizers may not be as effective, but they won't pose any serious health risks. And there's an ever expanding array of cosmetic procedures...
...decision to halt a study of hormone-replacement therapy because of an increased risk of cancer came as a blow to millions of women. But the potential dangers of hormones were well known when TIME ran a cover story on ESTROGEN...