The Women’s Health Initiative findings were the results of the Women’s Health Initiative hormone replacement therapy HRT study.
The Womens Health Initiative HRT study consisted of TWO studies:
• 1 – A synthetic conjugated equine estrogen alone study for women who already had a hysterectomy before joining.
• 2 – A synthetic estrogen-plus-progestin (PREMPRO) study for women who had not had a hysterectomy before joining.
Study participants answered questions about their general health, body pain, energy, social functioning, depression, sleep, sexual satisfaction and menopause symptoms after treatment with synthetic hormone replacement therapy.
This Women’s Health Initiative HRT study was to run for 8 years, however, it was stopped in 2002 after only 5 years. Why was it stopped so soon?
The women involved in this study were showing there are more risks to the HRT than the actual benefits – after a short 5 years!
Findings in 2002 were updated in 2004 after further studies. The RISKS of taking the synthetic hormone replacement therapy could be more than the benefits.
This study discovered that women taking HRT containing conjugated equine estrogen alone had:
• 1- Nearly 40% increase in the occurrence of strokes.
• 2- Possible increase in occurrence of leg blood clots.
• 3- On the benefit side, there was some reduction in the occurrence of hip fracture which is being studied further.
The conclusions were that conjugated equine estrogen should NOT be used by women for chronic disease prevention and particularly heart disease.
As for the Womens Health Initiative findings for the estrogen plus progestin study, women were found to have more heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and breast cancers as compared to women who were taking a placebo. On the benefit side, these women did have fewer colorectal cancers and hip fractures.
Again, the Women’s Health Initiative came to the conclusion that the conjugated equine estrogen plus progestin combination hormone replacement therapy should NOT be used in the prevention of heart disease.
Dr. Marcia Stefanick from Stanford University was quoted in a newspaper as stating, “It looks like the longer you use synthetic hormone HRT, the worse off you are.”
Synthetic hormones differ from the natural hormones that occur in the human body in that the synthetic versions are created in the laboratory, manufactured and then patented.
It can be difficult for the female body to process the synthetic hormones correctly because the medicine is not the same hormone as naturally occurs in humans. And the result is side effects, which can be worse than the symptoms they were supposed to treat.
Based on the Women’s Health Initiative findings, why expose yourself to the health risks which are associated with the synthetic forms of hormone replacement therapy?
Consider using the bio-identical hormones to bring your hormones in balance, hormones that ARE IDENTICAL to what your body makes.
Women’s Health Initiative findings and HRT study related articles:
Using natural estrogen products.
Learn about premature menopause symptoms.
Early menopause causes and signs of early menopause.
Is there osteoporosis in man during or after male menopause?
Low testosterone and prostate symptoms information.
What’s the relationship between arthritis and alternative medicine?
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