The common belief that estrogen replacement therapy protects mature women's hearts may completely unfounded. A newly released study documents that there is no evidence that hormone drugs slowed the progression of heart disease in the coronary arteries. 309 women with heart disease participated in this study. Part of the group was given hormone replacement medication, the other placebo. The results were the same. Hormones did not slow the progression of the disease.

What is more alarming is the fact that these findings confirm an earlier study finalized in l998 with l200 women that came to the same conclusion. It also showed that women taking estrogen replacement therapy had just as many heart attacks within four years as those not on the hormone treatment. Heart attacks is the number one cause of death for women in the US. Both these studies make a strong argument that women with heart disease should definitely choose proven heart protection therapies to lower their risks rather than rely on hormone replacement medications.

Dr. David Herrington, cardiologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center suggests the following strategy: cholesterol lowering drugs, pills called ACE-inhibitors and aspirin, quitting smoking, regular exercise and a diet low in animal fats.

Today millions of women are on estrogen replacement therapy. Many women having made this choice because they believed that ERT protects their hearts as well as their bones, even though there is conclusive evidence based on multiple studies with over one hundred thousand women that hormone replacement therapy, especially the combination of estrogen and progesterone, substantially increase the risk of breast cancer when used over five years or more.

The question this author and millions of women ask themselves is this: ...how effective is hormone replacement therapy in reducing heart problems for the average women? Do the benefits outweigh the increased risk in breast cancer? In light of these most recent findings, medical practitioners and their patients want and deserve better answers.

Too many women have been given HRT indiscriminately and have suffered serious consequences. Breast cancer rates are epidemic. Is there a correlation?

Jacqui



		Menopause & Menstruation
	Hormone Replacement Therapy May Not Protect Women With Heart Disease. The common belief that estrogen replacement therapy protects mature women's hearts may completely unfounded. A newly released study documents that there is no evidence that hormone drugs slowed the progression of heart disease in the coronary arteries. 309 women with heart disease participated in this study. Part of the group was given hormone replacement medication, the other placebo. The results were the same. Hormones did not slow the progression of the disease. What is more alarming is the fact that these findings confirm an earlier study finalized in l998 with l200 women that came to the same conclusion. It also showed that women taking estrogen replacement therapy had just as many heart attacks within four years as those not on the hormone treatment. Heart attacks is the number one cause of death for women in the US. Both these studies make a strong argument that women with heart disease should definitely choose proven heart protection therapies to lower their risks rather than rely on hormone replacement medications. Dr. David Herrington, cardiologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center suggests the following strategy: cholesterol lowering drugs, pills called ACE-inhibitors and aspirin, quitting smoking, regular exercise and a diet low in animal fats. Today millions of women are on estrogen replacement therapy. Many women having made this choice because they believed that ERT protects their hearts as well as their bones, even though there is conclusive evidence based on multiple studies with over one hundred thousand women that hormone replacement therapy, especially the combination of estrogen and progesterone, substantially increase the risk of breast cancer when used over five years or more. The question this author and millions of women ask themselves is this: ...how effective is hormone replacement therapy in reducing heart problems for the average women? Do the benefits outweigh the increased risk in breast cancer? In light of these most recent findings, medical practitioners and their patients want and deserve better answers. Too many women have been given HRT indiscriminately and have suffered serious consequences. Breast cancer rates are epidemic. Is there a correlation? Jacqui Copyright 2000 Brandwynne Corporation. All rights reserved.

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