|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||
|
||||
|
||||
FW: Estrogen Linked to Slight Increase in Heart Attack RiskFrom: babydoc@apex.netTue Apr 4 22:25:50 2000
full data Medical Industry Today Date: 4/5/2000 Companies: Women's Health Initiative Category: World Health Contrary to widely held medical belief, women who take estrogen therapy have a slightly higher risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke or blood clot during their first two years of treatment, researchers have concluded. However, the risk is small and appears to dissipate after the first two years of hormone therapy, according to findings of the government-funded Women's Health Initiative, as reported by various news media. Researchers have long held that estrogen helps protect women from cardiovascular disease, as previously reported by Medical Industry Today. The new information adds to growing controversy and at times conflicting information about hormone replacement therapy which, according to the Associated Press, is prescribed to an estimated 16 million postmenopausal women. Earlier this year, two major studies linked the common estrogen-progestin combination hormonal therapy with higher rates of breast cancer, compared to estrogen therapy alone, as reported by Medical Industry Today. In recent years, progestin usually has been added to hormonal therapy for postmenopausal women who have not undergone hysterectomies, to protect against uterine cancer. Estrogen therapy, while seen as a possible risk for breast cancer, was perceived to have beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, while also helping to prevent osteoporosis and alleviate uncomfortable menopausal symptoms. However, last month, as reported, a study revealed that estrogen therapy does not prevent established cardiovascular disease from worsening. Left unanswered by that study was whether estrogen therapy helps prevent cardiovascular disease from developing. The latest findings indicate that for some women, the answer is no, it does not. The study "highlights how little we know about a subject that people think we know so much about," Marcia Stefanick, principal investigator of a portion of the latest study, told the Los Angeles Times. However, Stefanick of Stanford Medical Center in Palo Alto, Calif., said she and other researchers believe hormones nonetheless may be beneficial in the long run. "It was unexpected to see an increase in cardiovascular events, but it doesn't mean the overall hypothesis is wrong," she said. "We don't know how this is going to play out," Dr. Elizabeth Ross of the American Heart Association told Reuters Health. "I don't think there's anything here to make us change our clinical practice ... It's a patient-to-patient decision." The newest findings were derived from a huge, nationwide study of women's health issues. About 27,000 women are participating in the hormone therapy portion. Slightly more than 1 percent of those participants had a heart attack, stroke or blood clot, regardless of whether they were given hormones or a placebo, Reuters Health reported. However, the health problems occurred slightly more often among those who received hormones, Dr. Jacque Rossouw of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute said in the Reuters report. He refused to give actual figures. The study is supposed to proceed until 2005, and the ensuing years could provide a more accurate assessment of the risks, study officials said. Women in the hormone therapy portion of the women's health study were informed of the preliminary results by mail. Study officials now fear that some women may drop out of the trial, which could lead to its early demise, the Times reported. The latest findings appear to duplicate the conclusions of the Heart and Estrogen-Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) of 1998, which also showed a spike in the number of heart attacks among women during their first year of hormone therapy, according to news reports. While estrogen has been shown to improve cholesterol levels and the elasticity of arterial walls, researchers now wonder whether hormones might cause an inflammation of blood vessels in certain women, the Times reported "Recently we've come to realize inflammation may play a very important role in the development of heart disease," Dr. David Herrington, a cardiologist at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, told the Times. "Although estrogen does have all these wonderful beneficial effects ... it may be offset by this inflammation." Added Stefanick in the Times report: "Whatever this risk is, it seems to happen only at the beginning of hormone use, and it only happens to a small group of women. We don't have any idea right now about who these women are." In an unrelated study reported earlier this week, researchers have concluded that women on hormone replacement therapy have a slightly higher risk of surviving breast cancer, probably because those women get more frequent mammograms. The tumors found in women on hormone therapy are smaller when detected and easier to treat, researchers reported in the April issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology. "It seems clear now that postmenopausal women who take hormones will face a higher risk of breast cancer, but that those women who do get breast cancer will do better," Dr. Paul Tartter of the Comprehensive Breast Center in New York, told Reuters Health. Copyright © 2000 Medical Data International, Inc. All rights reserved. You may make this article available to others for non-commercial uses so long as the article is made available in its entirety and all notices and copyright attributions remain unaltered. All references, quotes, etc. must be properly attributed to "Medical Industry Today." Information herein was obtained from sources and suppliers believed to be reliable, but Medical Data International does not warrant it in any way nor guarantee its accuracy. Medical Data International provides the information "as is," without warranties of any kind, and shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Complimentary subscriptions to Medical Industry Today are available at http://www.medicaldata.com/mit. To Sign-up: http://www.medicaldata.com/members/mit/mitprefs.asp?signup=Yes To View Today's Issue Online: http://www.medicaldata.com/mit/default.asp About MDI: http://www.medicaldata.com/Corpinfo/default.htm
|
|
Return to
|
Mail a New Message to the Forum: ob-gyn-l@obgyn.net Forum Administrator: geffrey.klein@obgyn.net Report Technical Problems: webmaster@obgyn.net Last Updated: Mon Nov 2 04:44:07 2009 |
The American Medical Association is no longer designating CME hours for AMA Category II CME credit. However, physicians themselves may self designate learning activities as Category II CME credit hours if they feel it is of sufficient educational merit and meets the formal definitions of continuing medical education. OBGYN.net believes these interaction in this forum meets these criteria. For further information see the AMA web site.