Go Ad-Free
logoThe People's Perspective on Medicine

New Data on Hormones for Menopause

Women have been confused about the benefits and risks of postmenopausal estrogen for years. That’s because a study called the Women’s Health Initiative was halted prematurely in 2002. The initial analysis suggested that women taking hormones had an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and breast cancer.
Now a new analysis of women who took only estrogen after a hysterectomy reveals conflicting results according to the women’s age. Those who received the hormone during their 50’s actually appeared to have a lower risk of heart disease and heart attack. Those who received estrogen in their 70’s did not get such a benefit and appeared to have an increased risk of colorectal cancer. The older women had a slightly increased risk of death associated with their use of estrogen. Making sense of these data will be a challenge for women and their physicians.


[JAMA, April 6, 2011]

Rate this article
star-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-emptystar-fullstar-empty
2- 1 rating
About the Author
Terry Graedon, PhD, is a medical anthropologist and co-host of The People’s Pharmacy radio show, co-author of The People’s Pharmacy syndicated newspaper columns and numerous books, and co-founder of The People’s Pharmacy website. Terry taught in the Duke University School of Nursing and was an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology. She is a Fellow of the Society of Applied Anthropology. Terry is one of the country's leading authorities on the science behind folk remedies..
Tired of the ads on our website?

Now you can browse our website completely ad-free for just $5 / month. Stay up to date on breaking health news and support our work without the distraction of advertisements.

Browse our website ad-free
Join over 150,000 Subscribers at The People's Pharmacy

We're empowering you to make wise decisions about your own health, by providing you with essential health information about both medical and alternative treatment options.