menopausal hormone therapy

OBJECTIVES: In this review paper, the pros and cons of the available pharmacological options for the treatment of uterine fibroids are explored, including oral progestogens, levonorgestrel intra-uterine device, gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs and progesterone receptor modulators with an emphasis on ulipristal acetate. STUDY DESIGN: The choice of the appropriate therapeutic approach for uterine fibroids depends on several factors, including women's age, parity, childbearing aspirations and wish to preserve fertility, extent and severity of symptoms, size, number and location of myomas, risk of malignancy and proximity to menopause...

The incidence of most thyroid diseases: hypothyroidism, nodular goitre, and cancer is highest among postmenopausal and elderly women. The diagnosis of thyroid dysfunction in this group of patients is difficult because the symptoms can be nonspecific or common with menopausal and ageing complaints. In the interpretation of thyroid function tests the physiological changes in secretion and metabolism of thyrotropin (TSH) and thyroid hormones must be considered, as well as the influence of comorbidities. Unrecognised thyroid dysfunction leads to increased: cardiovascular risk, bone fractures, cognitive impairment, depression, and mortality...

Abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) is a common complaint that affects large numbers of women from puberty to menopause. It negatively affects health by causing anemia, and impacts the quality of life of women affected. AUB also has an economic impact for both women and society. Therefore, it should not be under- or overestimate and diagnosis, investigations and treatment should be proposed, taking into account the scientific data available in the current state of medical knowledge. Using the new terminology and etiologic classification of AUB is essential to communicate properly around the subject...

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) concerns about 10 % of the population in Switzerland. Epidemiological studies suggest that women are less prone to the development of CKD than men, and progress less rapidly to end stage renal disease. This protection seems lost when entering menopause. The reasons for this finding may stem from hormonal, structural or hemodynamic differences, yet the precise underlying mechanisms are so far incompletely understood. Some animal studies suggest a potentially beneficial effect of estrogen therapy, mainly in diabetes, yet data in humans are lacking...

Premature menopause defined as secondary amenorrhea is common in women with kidney disease. Moreover, the aging population has resulted in increasing numbers of postmenopausal women with kidney disease. Though the pathophysiology is poorly understood, kidney transplantation and more frequent hemodialysis can restore menses and fertility, highlighting the challenges of diagnosing and managing the menopausal transition in the female population with kidney disease. Postmenopausal sex hormone levels affect renovascular physiology, but the clinical impact of menopause on kidney function is unclear...

Purpose To assess whether bisphosphonate (BP) use is associated with decreased breast cancer incidence in a cohort of postmenopausal women. Methods The study population included 64,438 postmenopausal women participating in the French E3N (Etude Epidémiologique auprès de femmes de la Mutuelle Générale de l'Education Nationale) prospective cohort, with data self-reported in biennial questionnaires matched with data from a drug reimbursement database. Exposure to BPs and the use of other osteoporosis treatments during follow-up were determined using reimbursement data...

BACKGROUND: Menopausal period is accompanied by numerous disorders and complications. Nowadays, hormone therapy is the most effective existing method to treat these complications, but many women cannot undergo that due to the known potentiality of risk. So, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of acupressure on early complications of menopause. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a blind random clinical trial conducted on 70 menopaused women referring to selected health care centers in Tehran who were qualified to enter the study...

Dry eye disease (DED) is a multifactorial ocular surface disease that causes symptoms of ocular pain, discomfort, and decreased visual acuity. It significantly affects quality of life of patients. It is more prevalent in the females and is being specifically in the menopausal and postmenopausal age group. This is believed to be due to the changes in balance of sex hormones. Sex hormones - estrogens and androgens - influence production of all components of the tear film including aqueous layer, lipid, and mucin...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether parity, age at menarche, menopausal status, age at menopause, use of oral contraceptives (OC) or use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) were associated with total knee replacement (TKR) or total hip replacement (THR) due to primary osteoarthritis. METHOD: In a prospective cohort study of 30,289 women from the second and third surveys of the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study, data were linked to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register (NAR) in order to identify TKR or THR due to primary osteoarthritis...

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to describe the characteristics, menopause symptoms, and treatment progressions in women cared for at an interdisciplinary menopause clinic. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of patient charts from women attending a multidisciplinary menopause clinic. Data collected from the charts included patient demographics, menopause symptoms, other concurrent medical conditions, and treatment recommendations. Data were entered into Research Electronic Data Capture database and analyzed descriptively...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between surgical menopause (SM) versus natural menopause (NM) in relation to later left ventricular (LV) structure and function, while taking into account the LV parameters and other cardiovascular disease risk factor (CVDRF) levels that predate the menopausal transition. METHODS: We studied 825 premenopausal women from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study in 1990 to 1991 (baseline, mean age 32 years) who later reached menopause by 2010 to 2011 and had echocardiograms at these two time points...

Osteoporosis is a bone disease that promotes the development of fragility fractures. An algorithm is proposed for the gynaecologists'use to diagnose and treat osteoporosis in young menopausal women. The fracture risk can be calculated with the FRAX tool. If the 10-year fracture risk is ≥ 10 %, a bone densitometry is recommended, and the result is integrated in the FRAX tool. If the risk is between 10 and 20 %, a treatment should be discussed individually and, in some cases, a pharmacologic preventive treatment, by menopause hormonal treatment or SERMs, can be initiated...

The menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the first line treatment for climacteric symptoms related to estrogen deficiency. A personalized evaluation of the benefit-risk ratio should precede a MHT prescription, and take into consideration cardiovascular, thromboembolic, oncological and osteoporosis risks. MHT should be prescribed at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest duration, respecting the window of opportunity in the 10 years following menopause or before the age of 60 years. The choice of the MHT type depends on the patient's profile, her medical history and personal preferences, with the aim of improving quality of life from a physical, psychological and sexual point of view...

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been established as the first-line treatment for women experiencing menopausal symptoms. The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), however, is becoming increasingly popular among women at midlife for management of such symptoms. Despite the equivocal evidence of CAM's efficacy in the reduction and alleviation of menopausal symptoms in placebo-controlled, randomized trials, 50% of women at midlife use CAM. To date, several large, population-based studies have focused upon CAM use amongst menopausal women and the factors associated with the adoption of such therapies...

Oral disorders were observed in children with congenital hypothyroidism, lately apparent because of difficulties of feeding, swallowing disorders, and macroglossia. Macroglossia was also a component of the severe acquired myxedema, particularly observed in hypothyroidism related to autoimmune atrophic thyroiditis beyond menopause. Lingual ectopy in children and adults could determine respiratory gene or swallowing difficulties, and were detectable by visual examination and the endobuccal touch. Expression of these events was completely minimized since the neonatal screening of congenital hypothyroidism, also by the common practice in adults of serum TSH determinations...

The clinical update serves as a brief review of recently published, high-impact, and potentially practice changing journal articles summarized for our readers. Topics include menopause, sexual dysfunction, breast health, contraception, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease. In this clinical update, we selected recent publications relevant to osteoporosis management. We highlight articles on the safety of long-term use of denosumab and bisphosphonates, fracture risk after discontinuing menopausal hormone therapy, calcium intake and cardiovascular risk, as well as the value of repeat dual X-ray absorptiometry scanning to monitor those on osteoporosis treatment...

The association between use of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) and occurrence of skin malignant melanoma (SMM) is controversial. We investigated the issue in a nationwide cohort of 684,696 Norwegian women, aged 45-79 years, followed from 2004-2008. The study was based on linkage between Norwegian population registries. Multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate the effect of HT use, different HT types, routes of administration, and doses of estrogen and progestin on the risk of SMM. During the median follow-up of 4...

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of menopause in women with or at risk of chronic kidney disease is increasing globally. Although international guidelines on menopause recommend the use of postmenopausal hormone therapy with or without selective estrogen receptor modulators for control of vasomotor symptoms, the effects of these treatments on kidney function and albuminuria are unclear. Furthermore, women with chronic kidney disease are at significantly increased risk of venous thromboembolism and malignancy, well-documented adverse effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy...

Invasive breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women in industrialized countries. Three-quarters of breast cancers express estrogen and/or progesterone receptors and are considered endocrine-sensitive. Endocrine therapy reduces the risk of loco-regional, contralateral and distant recurrence. The management has become more complex with estrogen receptor inhibitors, aromatase inhibitors and ovarian function suppression. The choice of the regimen and its duration depend on the age, the menopausal status of the patient, her co-morbidities, the risk of cancer relapse and the tolerance...

BACKGROUND: Among subfertile couples undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART), pregnancy rates following frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) treatment cycles have historically been found to be lower than following embryo transfer undertaken two to five days following oocyte retrieval. Nevertheless, FET increases the cumulative pregnancy rate, reduces cost, is relatively simple to undertake and can be accomplished in a shorter time period than repeated in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles with fresh embryo transfer...