Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Hormone therapy still viable treatment: Report

From Canada.com:
With unprecedented numbers of Canadian women about to enter menopause, Canadian doctors are telling women it's safe to go back on hormones.

An expert panel convened by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada has concluded that no treatment is as effective as hormone therapy for hot flushes and other symptoms of menopause.

The group says an "extensive" review of new data — along with a re-analysis of a massive study that led women to abandon their hormones in droves seven years ago — shows hormones are a safe option for moderate to severe symptoms, if started early and used over the short term.

The group is recommending using the lowest effective dose. And while there is no fixed timeline, "we suggest that taking it for four to five years is a good starting point," says Dr. Robert Reid, lead author of the updated guidelines and chair of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Queen's University in Kingston. ...more

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