Why To Exercise Today: Minimizing ‘Menopause Misery’

A new report suggests a path toward reducing “menopause misery”: Give up your sedentary lifestyle.

A paper — titled “Sedentary lifestyle in middle-aged women is associated with severe menopausal symptoms and obesity,” and published online in the journal Menopause — looks at more than 6,000 women across Latin America ages 40-59. Researchers found that compared to active women, sedentary women (who made up about 63 percent of participants) reported more “severe” menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, joint pain, depressed mood and anxiety and other symptoms like sex problems, vaginal dryness and bladder problems.

Sedentary lifestyle was self-reported (always a possible red flag in a study like this) as less than three 30-minute sessions of physical activity per week; activities included walking, biking, running, jogging, swimming or working out.

From the news release:

The study analyzed data from the Collaborative Group for Research of the Climacteric in Latin America surveys and health records of 6,079 women … who attended one of 20 urban health centers in 11 Latin American countries. The women completed standard questionnaires about depression, anxiety, insomnia, and menopause symptoms. Symptoms on the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) questionnaire include somatic symptoms … and urogenital symptoms… The women also answered other questions, such as what their activity level and menopause status were.

JoAnn Pinkerton, M.D., executive director of the North American Menopause Society, and not involved in the study, said that being sedentary carries with it all sorts of health risks far beyond menopausal symptoms — from heart disease to some types of cancer. But, she notes, regular exercise can relieve “menopause misery,” and more. In an email, she adds:

Other studies have shown that being active whether women choose gardening, yoga, walking, biking or swimming at least 30 minutes a day improves menopausal symptoms… Being sedentary is bad for your health, physical and mental. Being active every day not only will help you have less severe menopausal symptoms, but it improves mood, coping, and has health benefits as well.

I encourage women including myself to add activity to our days, every day, whenever and however we can. Don’t wait til Saturday or the days you can go to the gym. If you are in your 40s and looking towards menopause, avoid the 12-15 pounds that most women gain by increasing your activity level now.

To be fit and strong after menopause requires women to gradually increase the amount of time and intensity of exercise to get most benefit.

Panel Recommends Depression Screening For Women During And After Pregnancy

On Tuesday the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released new recommendations on screening for depression in adults, notably calling for depression screening in women both during and after pregnancy.

The recommendations, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, suggest: “All adults older than 18 years should be routinely screened for depression. This includes pregnant women and new mothers as well as elderly adults.”

Why?

“Depression is among the leading causes of disability in persons 15 years and older,” the task force statement said. “It affects individuals, families, businesses, and society and is common in patients seeking care in the primary care setting. Depression is also common in postpartum and pregnant women and affects not only the woman but her child as well. …The [task force] found convincing evidence that screening improves the accurate identification of adult patients with depression in primary care settings, including pregnant and postpartum women.”

The government-appointed panel found that the harms from such screening are “small to none,” though it did cite potential harm related to drugs frequently prescribed for depression:

The USPSTF found that second-generation antidepressants (mostly selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors [SSRIs]) are associated with some harms, such as an increase in suicidal behaviors in adults aged 18 to 29 years and an increased risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in adults older than 70 years, with risk increasing with age; however, the magnitude of these risks is, on average, small. The USPSTF found evidence of potential serious fetal harms from pharmacologic treatment of depression in pregnant women, but the likelihood of these serious harms is low. Therefore, the USPSTF concludes that the overall magnitude of harms is small to moderate.

Nancy Byatt, medical director at the Massachusetts Child Psychiatry Access Project for Moms(MCPAP for Moms) and an assistant professor of psychiatry and obstetrics and gynecology at UMass Medical School, said the new recommendations “are an incredibly important step to have depression care become a routine part of obstetrical care.”

She added: “Depression in pregnancy is twice as common as diabetes in pregnancy and obstetric providers always screen for diabetes and they have a clear treatment plan. The goal [here] is that women are screened for depression [during pregnancy and postpartum] and they are assessed and treated and this becomes a routine part of care just like diabetes.”

Dr. Ruta Nonacs, who’s in the psychiatry department at Massachusetts General Hospital and editor-in-chief at the MGH Center for Women’s Mental Health, sent her thoughts via email:

In that the USPSTF recommendation recognizes pregnant and postpartum women as a group at high risk for depression, this represents a step in the right direction in terms of ensuring that psychiatric illness in this vulnerable population is identified and appropriately treated. However, there remain significant obstacles to overcome. Research and clinical experience indicate that while pregnant and postpartum women with mood and anxiety disorders can be identified through screening, many women identified in this manner do not seek or are not able to find treatment.

While screening is important, we must also make sure we tend to the construction of a system that provides appropriate follow-up and treatment. Because stigma continues to be significant with regard to mental health issues in mothers and mothers-to-be and because there are concerns regarding the use of medication in pregnant and nursing women, we must make sure that after screening, we help women to access appropriate resources and treaters who have expertise in the treatment of women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Unlike the so-called “baby blues” — the feelings of exhaustion, worry and unease that impact about 80 percent of new moms but are often short-lived — postpartum depression can be extreme and longer-lasting. The condition occurs in nearly 15 percent of births, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and can often require treatment, from psychotherapy to medications.

The New York Times’ report Tuesday says the health panel’s new recommendations are “expected to galvanize many more health providers to provide screening,” particularly as emerging evidence suggests “maternal mental illness is more common than previously thought; that many cases of what has been called postpartum depression actually start during pregnancy; and that left untreated, these mood disorders can be detrimental to the well-being of children.”

And here’s what Mark DeFrancesco, M.D., president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, said in a statement on the new recommendations:

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is pleased that the USPSTF recognizes that screening for depression is appropriate for all adults, including pregnant and postpartum women. ACOG has long recommended depression screening for all women, both as a part of the well-woman visit and during the perinatal period. Specifically, ACOG’s Committee Opinion on Screening for Perinatal Depression recommends routine screening for depression for all women at least once during the perinatal period.

ACOG’s Committee Opinion also adds that women at high risk of depression – for example, with a history of depression or anxiety – warrant especially close monitoring.

Perinatal depression – or depression that occurs during pregnancy or in the first 12 months after delivery – is estimated to affect one in seven women, making it one of the most common medical complications associated with pregnancy. Because fewer than 20 percent of women in whom perinatal depression is diagnosed self-report their symptoms, routine screening by physicians is important for ensuring appropriate follow-up and treatment. Fortunately, we have a variety of treatment options – such as lifestyle changes, therapy, and medication – that help women control depression and enjoy their growing families.

Of course, depression also impacts women who aren’t pregnant. Because of the open, close nature of our relationship with our patients, ob-gyns have a unique role to play in identifying depression in the women we treat. That’s why routine mental health screening is an important part of the well-woman visit.

WHAT IS BIO-SIMILAR HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY?

Long ago, practitioners of medicine in ancient times used herbs, berries, and seeds to concoct potions to cure ailments that people experienced. Then, modern medicine started to experiment with synthetic formulas. Today, many individuals are searching to return to a natural way of healing the body, and to this end, some are turning to bio-similar hormone replacement therapy as the perfect solution to what they require.

What is bio-similar hormone replacement therapy and how does it work in the human body? bio-similar HRT is a natural approach to treating deficiencies that occur when the body ceases or slows down production of a particular hormone. There are approximately 60 of these chemical messengers in the body, and many have the purpose of stimulating the production of other such substances. If one of these types of hormonal deficiencies occurs, a trigger effect occurs, and system wide breakdown could occur.

Bio-similar hormones have an identical molecular structure to the chemical messengers they are designed to increase. The difference between bio-similar and natural is that, while a natural version of a hormone replacement product is made from something that exists in nature (such as urine from pregnant horses to make Premarin), it is not identical to the actual hormone in the human body. That is why many “natural” and synthetic methods of HRT have higher risk factors associated with them.

Synthetic hormones are entirely different because they are manmade and are not bio-similar in nature to the targeted substance they are replacing. With bio-similar hormone replacement , the body cannot distinguish a difference between the naturally occurring hormone and the supplementation that has been administered. This enables the medication to go right to work triggering its crucial functions without the need for any type of conversion or assimilation process.

As with any type of medical treatment, there are pros and cons of bio-similar hormone replacement therapy to discuss, and that will take place in the following two sections.

TYPES AND BENEFITS OF BIO-SIMILAR HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

There are many benefits of bio-similar hormone replacement therapy for men and women, and this will also depend on the type of treatment that has been prescribed. The two primary forms of HRT for men are:

• Human growth hormone injections
• Testosterone treatment 

What are bio-similar hormone replacement therapy options for women?

• Human growth hormone injections
• Testosterone treatment
• Estrogen
• Progesterone

Much of the estrogen and progesterone used by women today fall under the natural or synthetic forms of HRT. That is why there is often more talk about risks than benefits. This is not the case when discussing the use of HGH therapy or testosterone treatment. When prescribed by a doctor following detailed blood testing and physical examination, these methods have increased benefits with reduced risk factors.

For example, here are some of the benefits of testosterone treatment for Low T in women and men:

• Improved libido
• Reversal or cessation of menopausal symptoms
• Increased energy and endurance
• Loss of belly fat
• Stronger, more defined lean muscles
• Increased bone density
• Sharper memory and cognitive functions
• Improved erectile functions
• Deeper sleep
• Better mood and outlook
• Thicker hair
• Lower triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels
• Improved cardiac output and capacity

When looking at the expected natural bio-similar hormone replacement therapy benefits of HGH injections for growth hormone deficiency in adults, we find the following:

• All of the benefits listed above associated with testosterone treatment
• Improved metabolism
• Regulation of glucose uptake
• Increased cellular regeneration – helps maintain internal organ size and performance
• Increased collagen for noticeably tighter and firmer skin, and reduced appearance of aging
• Stronger nails
• Improved immune system functions
• Shortened recovery and recuperation times from illness, injury, and even high exertion exercise
• Clearer night vision and eyesight
• Increased drive and motivation

The symptoms that a person has often help the doctor know even before the blood test results come in what type of deficiency may be present – but not always. That is why getting blood analysis is essential before bio-similar hormone therapy is prescribed.

There are some potential bio-similar hormone replacement therapy side effects that should be discussed before treatment is considered. The most likely reason why anyone would see these adverse changes is due to the dosage of medication prescribed being too high for the body’s needs.

In most cases, the dangers of bio-similar hormone replacement therapy are exceedingly slight, and if anything, the risk factors are more on the annoying side than anything else. If they appear, contact your Blueprint Health Patient Care Representative to have the dosage of medication lowered – do not try to do this on your own or without proper guidance and support. Once the dosage is reduced, the symptoms should subside and reverse.

Depending upon the type of treatment prescribed, the following side effects of bio-similar hormone replacement therapy are possible:

• Breast tenderness or enlargement
• Oily skin or acne
• Changes in mood or aggression
• Itching, sensitivity, or pain at the injection site
• Rash or other skin changes with testosterone gels, patches, or creams
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• High cholesterol
• Edema – swelling
• Joint pains or muscle aches
• Increased risk of diabetes
• Headaches
• Changes in taste, gum irritation, or toothache attributed to transbuccal testosterone

WHERE TO GET BIO-SIMILAR HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

Symptoms such as low libido, weight gain, changes in mood or outlook, decreasing bone density, loss of lean muscle, trouble sleeping, and problems with memory are all excellent reasons to seek out the help and support of bio-similar hormone replacement doctors . Unlike many other physicians who may want to run expensive diagnostic tests to get to the root of the problem, HRT specialists use blood analysis to determine what is wrong.

Blueprint Health works with local physicians around the country to enable them to provide HRT to their patients, while providing the highest level of patient screening, on-going monitoring, thus insuring successful outcomes. The goal is always the same – to help adults lead enriched lives by ensuring that their hormone levels are where they should be to allow for proper functioning. We also offer the highest quality, compounded bio-similar medications to our clients.

To find out more about how bio-similar hormone replacement can impact your life, or that of someone you know, call today for a free consultation or contact us by completing our on-line form, and one of our medical advisors will contact you at a time that is convenient. Bio-similar hormones are changing lives of women and men throughout the US. Learn how the right treatment can change your life.