Hormone therapy boosts sexual interest but not memory, study findsSeptember 25, 2007Hormone therapy in early post-menopause increases sexual interest, but does not improve memory, according to a study in the Sept. 25 issue of the journal Neurology. "Contrary to what we predicted, hormone therapy did not have a positive affect on memory performance in younger mid-life women," said Pauline Maki, associate professor of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who led the study. "If women want to improve hot flashes and night sweats -- the primary reason most women seek menopausal relief -- and they want to improve their sexual focus and interest, then this may be a formulation for them." Maki and her colleagues enrolled 180 women between the ages of 45 and 55 whose last menstrual cycle was in the past one to three years. The women were randomly assigned to receive either a placebo or a combination of estrogen and progesterone, also known as Prempro, for four months. The study evaluated memory, attention, cognitive function, emotional status, sexuality and sleep. No significant changes in cognitive function were identified in the newly menopausal women taking hormone therapy compared to the placebo group. Although previous smaller studies have suggested that estrogen provides cognitive benefits in recently menopausal women, Maki said that progestin may counteract these positive effects. Women treated with hormone therapy reported a 32 percent increase in sexual thoughts and a 44 percent increase in sexual interest when compared to women taking placebo, according to the researchers. The study also found that women with vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, showed a reduction in symptoms and an improvement in overall quality-of-life when taking hormone therapy versus placebo. The study, which is the largest randomized trial to date examining hormone therapy and memory in midlife women, was stopped early due to declining enrollment that coincided with results of the Women's Health Initiative, which found that the associated health risks of the therapy outweighed the benefits. University of Illinois at Chicago |
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| Related Hormone Therapy Current Events and Hormone Therapy News Articles Menopause-cardiology consensus statement on cardiovascular disease and on HRT A menopause-cardiology consensus statement has called for direct action to prevent cardiovascular disease (CVD) in menopausal women. The statement also concludes that there is little evidence of increased CVD risk in taking HRT. Scientists uncover new key to the puzzle of hormone therapy and breast cancer The use of postmenopausal hormone therapy has decreased over time in the United States, which researchers suggest may play a key role in the declining rate of atypical ductal hyperplasia, a known risk factor for breast cancer. Short-term hormone therapy and intermediate dose radiation increases survivial for early stage prostate cancer Short-term hormone therapy given prior to and during intermediate dose radiation treatment for men with early stage prostate cancer increases their chance of living longer, compared to those who receive the same radiation alone. Study shows hormone replacement therapy decreases mortality in younger postmenopausal woman Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat menopausal estrogen deficiency has been in widespread use for over 60 years. Several observational studies over the years showed that HRT use by younger postmenopausal women was associated with a significant reduction in total mortality; available evidence supported the routine use of HRT to increase longevity in postmenopausal women. Hormone mix could cut breast cancer risk and treat symptoms of menopause The right combination of estrogen and a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM), which blocks the effects of estrogen in breast tissue, could relieve menopause symptoms and cut breast cancer risk. Breast tenderness during hormone replacement therapy linked to elevated cancer risk Women who developed new-onset breast tenderness after starting estrogen plus progestin hormone replacement therapy were at significantly higher risk for developing breast cancer than women on the combination therapy who didn't experience such tenderness, according to a new UCLA study. Women with breast cancer have low vitamin D levels Women with breast cancer should be given high doses of vitamin D because a majority of them are likely to have low levels of vitamin D, which could contribute to decreased bone mass and greater risk of fractures, according to scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Researchers believe hormone therapy should not be stopped prior to mammograms Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) are recommending that menopausal women on hormone therapy (HT) continue their treatment prior to having their annual mammogram screenings. Prostate cancer patients on hormone therapy at increased risk for various heart diseases New research has found that hormone therapy used to treat men with advanced prostate cancer is associated with an increased chance of developing various heart problems. Some choices of therapy appear, however, to be less risky than others. Long-term tamoxifen use increases risk of an aggressive, hard to treat type of second breast cancer While long-term tamoxifen use among breast cancer survivors decreases their risk of developing the most common, less aggressive type of second breast cancer, such use is associated with a more than four-fold increased risk of a more aggressive, difficult-to-treat type of cancer in the breast opposite, or contralateral, to the initial tumor. More Hormone Therapy Current Events and Hormone Therapy News Articles |
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