Drink GEM Blog

Update on Hormone Therapy Research

9th September, 2010 - Posted by GEM_Author - 1 Comment

News on oral estrogen therapy

Hormone therapy has been a staple for postmenopausal women, especially about 15 years ago, when it was said that this type of therapy offered women some protection against heart disease and osteoporosis. The observational studies seemed sound enough, and the hormone therapy seemed to be beneficial to women in quite a few ways—in fact, an analysis published in 1997 said that the benefits outweighed the risks. More is more, right? And in the late 1990s, almost 40 percent of women would have agreed with that statement.

Since then, two large, randomized clinical trials have released their findings, and the results are surprising. The studies revealed that for women taking continuous estrogen and progestin regimens, the risks associated with hormone therapy far outweigh the benefits.

And it’s no joke: these studies from the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) and the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) have had some serious effects in the marketplace. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration now requires new warning labels for its estrogen products, plus the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force revised its stance on the routine use of progestin and estrogen, now recommending against it when used as a preventative measure for chronic conditions in postmenopausal women.

So, what were the results? The WHI conducted their studies on women 50 years or older without menopausal symptoms, but most of the subjects were 10 years or more beyond menopause. Compared with the subjects taking a placebo, those taking the oral estrogen were more likely to have an increased risk of stroke and blood clots, but no difference in risk for heart attacks or colorectal cancer. The effects on breast cancer were inconclusive, and in the group of women 65 years of age and older, oral estrogen was associated with an increased risk of dementia.

So what should we take away from this? The main point is that hormone therapy provides relief to menopausal symptoms but with risks that women should seriously consider prior to use.  If your doctor recommends hormone therapy, it should be for the lowest possible dosage for the least amount of time.  A more informed patient is a healthier patient.

So why mess with your hormones that are already on a roller coaster? We at GEM® saw the need for hormone-free, natural menopause treatments, and Keep It Cool™ was born. Are you ready to try a convenient, ready-to-drink product that helps reduce menopause symptoms without estrogen? Don’t take our word for it—read other women just like you who have reaped Keep It Cool™’s benefits. Give Keep It Cool™ a try today, risk free.