Health News.

CAPS IN KNOWLEDGE: HRT RESEARCHES

There is as yet only a limited amount of research evidence about short-term use of oestrogen patches, implants, vaginal creams and pessaries. No one knows yet whether the body handles oestrogen from these sources differently from oestrogen taken by mouth, or whether oestrogen in these forms offers protection against the development of heart and blood vessel disease. Preliminary data suggests that oestrogen administered in these ways produces beneficial changes to blood fat levels, and long-term findings are eagerly awaited from several studies capable of providing answers.

It is still unclear to what extent cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis are due to oestrogen deficiency and to what extent they can be remedied by HRT.

There is good evidence that heart disease risk factors for men, on whom most research has been done, cannot be applied holus-bolus to women. Since the risk of heart disease is figuring more and more among the reasons why doctors prescribe HRT, this raises questions about the basis on which such decisions are made.

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Related Posts:

• HORMONAL REPLACEMENT THERAPY: HOW TO TAKE
• SEX HORMONE LEVELS AFTER MENOPAUSE: OESTROGEN HORMONES
• ALTERNATIVES TO HRT: LACK OF ENERGY, FEELING ‘BLUE’ OR OUT OF SORTS
• WAYS OF ADMINISTRATING HRT: IMPLANTS