Menopause News and Research

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Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often after age 45. Menopause happens because the woman's ovary stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Breast cancer survival rate boosted by radiotherapy

According to a new study breast cancer patients who have radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery have a lower risk of a recurrence of the disease and a better chance of beating the illness.

19 Dec 2005

Perimenopause critical for preventing heart disease and osteoporosis

Research in monkeys suggests that the perimenopause - the five to 10 years before a woman's menopause - is a critical time for preventing heart disease and osteoporosis.

13 Dec 2005

Risedronate prevents bone loss and periodontal disease

Drugs that reverse and prevent bone loss due to osteoporosis also significantly ward off periodontal disease, according to a graduate of the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine who reports in the current Menopause journal article, "Periodontal Assessments of Postmenopausal Women Receiving Risedronate."

7 Dec 2005

Taking HRT before the menopause may prevent heart disease

According to American researcher Jay Kaplan, taking the "Pill" before the menopause or starting hormone replacement therapy before menopausal symptoms begin could actually help prevent heart disease in women.

6 Dec 2005

Aldosterone shows promise as stroke treatment

A bi-polar hormone that can contribute to strokes and minimize their damage is emerging as a therapeutic target in the battle against these brain attacks, researchers say.

5 Dec 2005

Being a D cup at 20 could mean breast cancer at 40

According to researchers, women with a large bra size at a young age are more likely to develop pre-menopausal breast cancer.

21 Nov 2005

The relationships between body image and sexual response changes in midlife women

Penn State researchers, who analyzed the responses of midlife women, ages 35 to 55, to a survey on body image, have concluded that the emphasis in U.S. culture on being young and thin has a more important influence than menopause on sexual functioning and satisfaction.

14 Nov 2005

Hormonal clue to higher asthma rates in women

According to experts hormone fluctuations resulting from life cycle changes are a factor in higher rates of asthma, more frequent emergency department visits, and higher hospital admission rates in women than in men.

7 Nov 2005

Ospemifine may also help to prevent breast cancer

A tamoxifen-like drug developed by UC Davis and Finnish researchers, now in clinical testing as a treatment for vaginal atrophy, may also help to prevent breast cancer, two preliminary studies suggest.

3 Nov 2005

Testosterone may improve women's sex lives after menopause

The addition of testosterone to hormone therapy in women after menopause enhances their sexual function. However, it may also reduce HDL cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol) in women, according to a systematic review of current evidence.

23 Oct 2005

"Designer" rats help show how declining estrogen after menopause can affect hypertension

Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine have created a better research rat – the first to enable them to study how declining estrogen after menopause can affect hypertension, heart failure and kidney damage.

26 Sep 2005

Putting the risk of breast cancer and postmenopausal Hormone Therapy (HT) into perspective

Two similar comprehensive literature reviews and an editorial about the varying risk with different postmenopausal hormone therapy regimens have been published this month in Human Reproduction Update.

7 Sep 2005

Med Services Europe obtains rights to out-license portfolio of prescription pharmaceuticals

Med Services Europe GmbH, a "Virtual European Headquarters" for Pharmaceutical and Medical Manufacturers, announced that it has obtained rights to out-license a portfolio of prescription pharmaceuticals.

6 Sep 2005

For post-menopausal women light to moderate exercise is best

A British expert says that although exercise is important for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and heart disease in post-menopausal women, too much exercise in pre-menopausal women may actually increase the risks.

5 Sep 2005

Recent evidence suggests caution in prescribing hormone therapy for breast cancer

One of the most effective new treatments for breast cancer is a hormone therapy. Aromatase inhibitors work by powerfully blocking the conversion of androgen precursors into estrogens, which lowers estradiol levels in the bloodstream and estrogen levels in peripheral tissues.

4 Sep 2005

First human trials start in Canada for muscle-derived stem cells as a treatment for urinary incontinence

Human muscle-derived cells, pluripotent stem cells found in muscle, have been used to cure stress urinary incontinence in animal models, a finding which signals that these cells are prime candidates to treat the condition in adults.

31 Aug 2005

Long-term hormone therapy used earlier in menopause is associated with fewer wrinkles

Long-term hormone therapy used earlier in menopause is associated with fewer wrinkles and less skin rigidity in postmenopausal women, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in the August issue of Fertility and Sterility.

28 Aug 2005

UCI study helps identify one reason why women have lower stroke risk than men

Estrogen's role as an inhibitor of toxic-free radicals in cerebral blood vessels may be a key reason why premenopausal women have a lower stroke risk than men.

26 Aug 2005

Appropriate tests need to be done earlier for ovarian cancer

A new study to be published in the journal CANCER in October has found that many women diagnosed with ovarian cancer actually complained of symptoms of the disease at least four months before they were diagnosed.

23 Aug 2005

Young breast cancer sufferers need more fertility advice before treatment

According to new research led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia, 25% of young breast cancer sufferers say that there was no discussion of fertility issues at the time of diagnosis, despite the possibility of infertility after treatment.

22 Aug 2005