Word: estrogenous
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...really looking forward to the year 2005. That's when a large clinical trial called the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) should finally answer the question "Do the benefits of taking estrogen and progestin for years, even decades, after menopause outweigh any risks?" There has been lots of evidence over the years that the answer is yes and yet plenty of data that lean toward no. Just last week a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association said that taking estrogen for 10 years or more doubles a woman's risk of dying from ovarian cancer...
...Carmen Rodriguez, a senior epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society who led the study, is that a woman's chances of dying from ovarian cancer are pretty low--about 1.7% over the course of her lifetime. Twice a low risk is still a low risk. (Study participants who took estrogen actually lived longer than those who didn't--partly because such volunteers often live healthier lives and have better access to medical care...
Next, keep in mind that the J.A.M.A. study was conducted at a time when most doctors still gave women estrogen by itself. Since then, women who haven't undergone a hysterectomy have generally received estrogen plus progestin because the combo reduces the risk of uterine cancer. It's quite possible taking both drugs reduces the risk of ovarian cancer as well...
Clearly, medical researchers are not as confident of the health benefits of long-term hormone therapy as they used to be. Investigators were surprised last year when preliminary evidence from the WHI revealed that taking estrogen with or without progestin slightly increased the risk of blood clots, heart attacks and strokes over a two-year period. The researchers are waiting for the final results to see if the short-term risk is outweighed by any long-term protection for the heart...
...ESTROGEN It still soothes hot flashes and protects your bones, but two major studies showed that taking estrogen long after menopause may not benefit the heart. In fact, the potent female hormone may slightly increase the risk of suffering a heart attack in some women. A long-term study is expected to produce a definitive answer some time during the next five years or so. Until then, women with high cholesterol levels should get plenty of exercise, limit the amount of saturated fat in their diet and listen carefully if their physician suggests taking a cholesterol-lowering drug...