HN McDOUGALL INSIDE Hormone Replacement Therapy MAY/JUNE 1994 HRT Is this for you Health and Weight By Dr John Loss Classes McDougall was told by my neighbor vent uterine cancer and there are Traveling and gynecologist physician that no many recognized serious side doctor would fail to effects Eating Out good pre scribe estrogen therapy to In 1932 Geist and Spielman woman at the time of menopause first proposed women be given The Lighter Side 57 Since was only providing this estrogen to reverse symptoms of Graduation Songs therapy for few women this menopause In the 1940s link meant that fell into the less between estrogen deficiency and Recipes than reputable category osteoporosis was discovered and The medical profession of the in the 1950s estrogen was found 1990s has waged war against to inhibit atherosclerosis which Toxic Vitamin menopausemaking every leads to heart attacks and strokes Therapy attempt to eliminate this phase of Estrogen use became popular in womans life as if it were the 1960s and 1970s for relief of the Cranberry Juice disease survey in Los menopausal symptoms and to for the Bladder Angeles Times found almost all keep women young Between gynecologists routinely pre 1966 and 1975 the number of scribed hormone replacement prescriptions written for estrogen for doubled In the late 1970s Healthy Greens therapy HRT recently yearly meno-pausal women Am relationship between cancer of Alfalfa Barley Kelp Spriulina Public Health 78516 1988 the uterus and estrogen was Most women with their uterus realized and the sales dramatically Retailer Discounts 10 had the combination of estrogen declined By 1980 the addition List of participating natural health and progestogen prescribed of progestogen had been shown retailers offering 10% off products Progestogen is any agent capable to reduce the incidence of uterine listed on the Club Card an exclu effects of producing biologic cancer caused by estrogen sive to Your Good Health readers similiar the to female hormone Beginning in 1980 estrogen use progesterone Most interesting increased In 1986 20.3 million the observation that half the Ordering was prescriptions were dispensed without their uterus also for relief of nformation 12 women mostly menopausal received the combination even symptoms With the recent Audio and Video Tapes though the sole recognized widespread knowledge of Newsletter Subscriptions benefit of is to their has Books progestogen pre estrogens benefits use skyrocketed Doctors now prescribe by reflex estrogen RELIEF OF MENOPAUSAL SYMPTOMS for almost every woman nearing the menopause You With the progressive reduction of female honnoru hardly have choice production by the ovaries time known as menopause most women raised on the Western diet experience BENEFITS OF HRT difficulties most commonly hot flashes atrophy of the genital tissues decreased breast size and osteoporosis Less women of OSTEOPOROSIS Nearly 50% of women will have commonly complain nervousness and Ifcaused sustained fracture of the hip spinal bone vertebra or anxiety irritability depression by estrogen deficiency these are relieved by HRT The wrist by the time they reach 70 Death within year symptoms decrease in and breast tissue is direct occurs in 20% of cases of fractured hip Pain deformity genital and of of reduced and is reversed by suffering are common consequence fractures consequence estrogen reversal due to too thin bones The lifetime risk of HRT Unfortunately is not without the of serious health hip fracture in white American women is possibility of the breasts and 15% and 5% for men Treatment with consequencesdiseases uterus estrogen increases calcium absorption from the lutes tine and reduces excretion from the kidneys It also suppresses bone turnover RISKS OF HRT and restores calcium balance to premeno pausal levels Br Med Bull 483 09 1992 ENDOMETRIAL CANCER Using The risk of death from osteoporosis-related estrogen alone hyperstimulates the inside hip fractures is decreased by 49% by use of uterine lining endometrium leading to estrogen for 25 years Obstet Gynecol irregular vaginal bleeding endometrial 83 161 1994 The differences in mea hyperplasia and cancer There is threefold sured bone between with sixfold increased risk of after density patients to cancer fractures those without small of and than 10-fold rise in hip and are too years use more for risk after of risk of bone density testing densitometry to 10 years use The cancer effective as as 15 after treatment is provide screening BMJ 303453 persists long years 1991 Since there is no way to reliably predict who will stopped MedJ Aust 159102 1993 Progestogen need estrogen therapy based on bone tests many doctors will protect the endometrium and greatly reduce but take the attitude that every woman should take HRT not completely eliminate the risk of endometrial cancer Obstet Gynecol 781008 1991 HEART DISEASE Long term treatment with birth control of and is substantial evidence pills combinations estrogen progestogen BREAST CANCER There has been associated with an increased risk ofheart attacks that HRT is involved in the cause of breast cancer in with However just the opposite finding has been made women and breast cancer can be induced in laboratory increases animals With than six of postmenopausal women on estrogen Estrogen by estrogen more years use the the risk good HDL-cholesterol decreasse bad LDL estradiol ofbreast cancer is almost doubled The cholesterol and prevents the formation of oxidized risk of breast cancer is highest among women who take LDL-cholesterol form of cholesterol very damaging to the combinations of estrogen and progestogen One the arteries Clin Endocrinol Metab 73925 1991 important study found 4.4 times increased risk for users After the age of65 years out ofevery women will die of these combinations for longer than years compared of cardiovascular disease heart attacks or stroke to nonusers Engi Med 321293 1989 Lancet Estrogen taken alone may decrease the risk of thtal heart 3401044 1992 The use of natural conjugated attacks after for be the safest with in risk of by 48% use 25 years Obstet Gynecol estrogen seems to no increase the addition of breast cancer Doses of .625 for less than have 83161 1994 However progestogen mg years increases the risk of heart and also been found be free of breast risk attacks may negate any to cancer Cancer heart benefits provided by the estrogen taken alone 40289 1990 page continued from page Examples of Estradiol Estrace Estraderm Example of Natural Conjugated Estrogen Premarin OTHER ADVERSE EFFECTS Overstimulation of the breasts with estrogen will aggravate fibrocystic breast disease causing breast pain and lumps for many women Stimulation of the body of the uterus will cause the smooth muscle cells to called fibroids proliferate into noncancerous tumors After menopause both of these conditions normally regress disappearing as the estrogen stimulation de creases Estrogen use after menopause may elevate blood pressure AmJ Epidemiol 103445 1976 and elevate blood small number of possibly sugar women appear to become addicted to estrogen and doses relief Estro requiring higher higher to get Jen has been found to increase the likelihood of gall bladder disease to fold compared to nonusers Lancet 113391973 They also cause stomach upset Progestogen has more troublesome and common sides effects such as breast tenderness flvlaip atulioIln f7vfcDouga1T SACRAMENTO COSTA MESA LEARN Sunday May Sunday July 24 NUTRITION 1200 PM to 400 PM 1001 AM to 1100 AM MEDICINE Beverly Garland Hotel Book Signing at SHOPPING California Mothers Market Sacramento COOKING 225 17th St EATING OUT HEALTH SANTA ROSA Costa Mesa CA This free INSTRUCTORS John Saturday May book signing is and Mary McDougall 100 PM to 500 PM and you do not need to COST $39.95 person Center be for Luther Burbank signed up any paid Limited Seating Santa California course to attend Rosa 1RE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED COSTA MESA TO REGISTER CALL 15105701054 OR IYEIGIIT LOSS SAN DIEGO Sunday July 24 l-707-576-1o54 Saturday May 21 1200 PM TO 400 PM Mail check to 100 PM to 500 PM Red Lion P.O Box 1403- Hotel Costa California Catamaran Mesa Santa Rosa CA 95402 CLASSES San Diego California San fose California Visa Mastercard accepted page YOUR GOOD HEALTHMay/June 1994 with of continued from page cigarettes family history osteoporosis bloating abdominal cramps depression anxiety irrita One widely held contraindication for HRT is history and since bility weight gain breakthrough bleeding Proges of breast cancer or uterine endometrial cancer of togen also reverses the favorable effects estrogen on estrogen is involved in the promotion of these cancers cholesterol and triglycerides Engi Med 304560 1981 Maturitas 1232 1990 These drugs have caused REMOVE THE ADVANTAGES AND THE months of fetal abnormalities when taken in the first DISADVANTAGES The risk of blood clots pregnancy thrombophiebitis also increased and pulmonary embolism is Present thinking views the postmenopausal woman With the cyclic use of both estrogen and progesto disease as suffering from known as estrogen defi approximately 90% of women who still have their gen that the risk of ciency This is based on the observation uterus continue to have monthly menstrual period heart disease be osteoporosis and can decreased with HRT However these conditions are not due to IF YOURE GOING TO TAKE ESTROGEN disease is to the rich estrogen pill deficiency Heart due American diet laden with fat and cholesterol and other There are two reasons to take the estrogen unhealthy habits