Study Says: Post-menopausal hormone therapy cuts heart disease
After a median of five years of hormone therapy, women in the early post-menopausal group showed significantly less rate of blocked arteries.
New York: A team of US researchers has found that hormone therapy, when taken within six years of menopause, may slow the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis -- the primary underlying pathway that leads to heart disease and stroke.
The findings suggest that after a median of five years of hormone therapy, women in the early post-menopausal group who were taking estradiol, showed significantly less rate of blocked arteries -- a condition that can lead to heart disease and stroke, when measured against those taking the placebo.
"Studies on hormone therapy and vascular degeneration, provides strong evidence that the cardiovascular benefits of hormone therapy are dependent on timing of initiation," said Howard N. Hodis from Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in the US.
The researchers examined the hypothesis that the cardiovascular effects of post-menopausal hormone therapy vary with the timing of hormone therapy initiation.
The team conducted a study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Early versus Late Intervention Trial with Estradiol (ELITE) in over 600 post-menopausal women with no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes.
They were stratified into two groups: early post-menopause -- women who were within six years of menopause and late post-menopause -- women who were 10 years or more beyond menopause.
Women in each group were randomly assigned to receive either oral estradiol -- with progesterone vaginal gel for those with a uterus or a placebo -- which included a placebo vaginal gel for those with a uterus.
"ELITE provides proof of concept and first direct evidence from human investigation that timing of hormone therapy is imperative for success in the prevention of atherosclerosis progressio," Hodis added.
"The stratification of participants into early and late post-menopause was a unique feature of ELITE. We believe that applying this design to further examination of heart disease prevention could ultimately prove immensely fruitful for women's health," Hodis noted.
The concept of timing of initiation of an intervention is likely applicable to most preventive approaches to cardiovascular disease in women, the authors stated.
Hormone Tests for Women
Here's a general overview of the basic hormone tests and what they mean to your health and hormonal balance. When is hormone testing helpful? By dividing women into three generalized groups it will help you understand who benefits from hormone testing and who may not.
Modern medicine has led us to believe that, for most medical issues, there's a single test that will confirm a clear and concise diagnosis. This is about as helpful as a 6-minute doctor visit, and springs from the same limited thinking. Women are especially hurt by this kind of medical approach to hormonal imbalance. That's because hormone panels and other tests aren't as helpful as you might wish. But in the hands of a skilled doctor who will take the time to "connect the dots", the tests can be very meaningful. Here's a general overview of the basic hormone tests and what they mean to your health and hormonal balance. When is hormone testing helpful? By dividing women into three generalized groups it will help you understand who benefits from hormone testing and who may not.
Women with fertility issues. For women in this category, hormone panels are key, both as a diagnostic and a therapeutic tool. So many fertility problems can be traced to irregularities in the menstrual cycle, and your practitioner needs to understand what's wrong in order to give you the right support.
Women with ordinary symptoms of hormonal imbalance. Women often ask us: is there a test to tell whether I'm in menopause? The short answer is no. You're menopausal when you haven't had a period for a year. Hormone tests are not required for this largest group of women. The symptom patterns are very individual, but the first line therapy is mostly the same: build a nutritional foundation, take the right basic supplements to restore balance, and make meaningful lifestyle changes.
Women with severe symptoms of hormonal imbalance. For women with debilitating or intractable symptoms, a hormone panel is essential. When dealing with PCOS, fibroids, diagnosed alopecia (hair loss), and other more severe hormone issues, your practitioner simply can't treat you without knowing where your hormones are.
Key tests in a hormone panel When it comes to key tests in a hormone panel, what they measure and what the results mean, levels and ranges will vary from lab to lab. This chart gives you a very general idea of what high or low levels of a particular hormone may indicate.
