Eraas for Menopause Treatment: Welcome the ‘Designer Estrogens’
REVIEW CME LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Readers will tailor hormone therapy to the needs of the patient CREDIT HEATHER D. HIRSCH, MD, MS, NCMP ELIM SHIH, MD, NCMP HOLLY L. THACKER, MD, NCMP Assistant Professor, Clinical Internal Medicine, Division Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Director of Center for Specialized Women’s Health, of General Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Women’s Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Women’s Columbus, and Center for Women’s Health, Health Institute, Cleveland Clinic; Professor, Cleveland The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Upper Arlington, OH Reserve University, Cleveland, OH ERAAs for menopause treatment: Welcome the ‘designer estrogens’ ABSTRACT strogen receptor agonist-antagonists E(ERAAs), previously called selective es- Estrogen receptor agonist-antagonists (ERAAs) selec- trogen receptor modulators (SERMs), have tively inhibit or stimulate estrogen-like action in targeted extended the options for treating the vari- tissues. This review summarizes how ERAAs can be used ous conditions that menopausal women suffer in combination with an estrogen or alone to treat meno- from. These drugs act differently on estrogen pausal symptoms (vasomotor symptoms, genitourinary receptors in different tissues, stimulating re- syndrome of menopause), breast cancer or the risk of ceptors in some tissues but inhibiting them breast cancer, osteopenia, osteoporosis, and other female in others. This allows selective inhibition or midlife concerns. stimulation of estrogen-like action in various target tissues.1 KEY POINTS This article highlights the use of ERAAs Tamoxifen is approved to prevent and treat breast cancer. to treat menopausal vasomotor symptoms It may also have beneficial effects on bone and on car- (eg, hot flashes, night sweats), genitourinary diovascular risk factors, but these are not approved uses.
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