My cholesterol level swings in the danger zone, despite two mile daily walks, a low-fat diet and regular doses of hormones.
When I recently heard of a new menopause study that showed a different estrogen mix would improve my cholesterol level more dramatically, I faxed the newspaper story to my doctor and asked for a prescription change.
My doctor, a menopause symptoms researcher, was more than happy to make the switch. More important, she welcomes the clinical data just released from one of the best U.S. studies of hormone therapy.
My doctor said she wasn't prepared to convince somebody to take artificial hormones. "It's my place to share the [spin]knowledge|information|research
results[/spin], to do it accurately, to reassure my patients and to encourage them to stay healthy," she told me.
The new Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions study - called PEPI - will help doctors give better advice for dealing with signs and symptoms of menopause. It doesn't answer all the questions, particularly about links between long-term hormone use and breast cancer. But it does eliminate a major doubt about whether the estrogen-progesterone combinations taken by most women offer protection for heart disease. And it clarifies the best ways to take the HRT.
Women already are wanting to know more about the PEPI study. It was presented not long ago at an American Heart Association meeting and is expected to be published next month in a leading health journal.
The research is important for many reasons: Doctors and women's groups are more interested than ever on whether HRT is necessary. There's less concern about using hormone replacement short-term to relieve symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes. The bigger question is whether menopausal women should take them for several years to lower their risk of heart problems and osteoporosis, two major causes of death and disability in women past menopause.
Many cynics, including a raft of fresh researchers on the subject, urge caution. They ask: Didn't our grandmothers manage perfectly well without taking {spin]hormones|HRT|estrogen therapy[/spin]? Couldn't they cause cancer? Aren't there ways to look after ourselves without taking {spin]pills|drugs|artificial substances[/spin]? And who wants to take a drug that causes menstrual periods for a year – or even longer?