Showing posts with label hormone replacement therapy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hormone replacement therapy. Show all posts

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Researchers work to erase women's hormone-replacement fear

From the Ottawa Citizen:
A research team led by Ottawa scientists is creating and testing synthetic hormones to take the fear out of hormone-replacement therapy for menopausal women.

There's a lot at stake, from the well-being of women to a pharmaceutical market worth billions a year.

"There are plenty of women who would like to have such a drug," said Carleton University Professor Jim Wright, a chemist.

Wright and the research team, led by Tony Durst at the University of Ottawa, have just received a $267,000 research grant from the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. It could lead to the creation of a blockbuster new drug.

About a decade ago, hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) was touted as a magic bullet for many menopausal women. HRT boosts hormone levels and helps to reduce the symptoms of menopause, from hot flashes to osteoporosis, the brittle-bone disease that can be deadly because it leads to serious fractures. About one in three women who sustain hip fractures from osteoporosis die within a year. ...more

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

Saturday, January 24, 2009

MDs give OK to hormone therapy

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 Gynecologists of Canada has concluded that no treatment is as effective as hormone therapy for hot flashes 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 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.

A woman holds her HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy) patches. Canadian doctors are telling women it's safe to go back on hormones.

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

"A lot of women were told point-blank, 'Stop your hormones. Suck it up.' And they're in my office with terrible hot flashes and irritability and depression and other mood things, and they're saying, 'My doctor won't prescribe (hormones) for me,' " Dr. Reid said. "What we're trying to do is ensure people who have symptoms that may benefit aren't afraid to put (hormones) on the list of options." ...more

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

B.C. court clears path for cancer survivors to sue over hormone replacement

From the Canadian Press:
An international maker of a hormone replacement drug has lost its bid to block a B.C. lawsuit, clearing the way for a possible class-action suit on behalf of breast cancer survivors.

Hundreds of B.C. women who claim they got breast cancer after taking the drugs Premarin and Premplus have contacted the law firm involvined in the B.C. Supreme Court lawsuit.

David Klein, the lawyer for the women, said it means if the company is found at fault, the international firm would be held accountable in a Canadian court.

"Now we can put the case back on track toward getting it certified as a class action," he said.

Officially, the lawsuit has one plaintiff so far. Dianna Stanway is the representative plaintiff in the court action that first must be certified by the court as a class action, allowing the other women to join. ...more

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Hormone replacement use down in Canadian women

From the Toronto Sun:
Hormone replacement therapy use by older Canadian women has dropped dramatically since a major study published in 2002 linked HRT use to higher rates of heart attack and stroke, a study has found.

Analysis of data from five provinces shows that use among senior women dropped to five per cent in 2006-2007 from 14 per cent in 2001-2002.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information study, released Thursday, looked only at women 65 and older, and therefore reflects only a small part of the picture of what happened to HRT use in Canada in the wake of the publication of the Women’s Health Initiative study.

Hormone replacement therapy is generally prescribed for the symptoms of menopause, which women typically go through in their late 40s and early 50s. ...more