Menopause

A registry-based study by researchers at UC San Francisco (UCSF) has shown an association between BRCA1/2 mutations and early menopause. The findings, published in Cancer, suggest that women who carry the genetic defect may be at risk of earlier infertility.

New drugs, new research, new guidelines… there’s a lot for ob/gyns to look forward to in the coming year. Here, the leaders of seven ob/gyn societies share the most interesting, important, exciting things on their radar for 2013.

From ASRM’s removal of the ‘experimental’ label from the procedure of oocyte cryopreservation, to discoveries into the complex genetic processes involved in ovarian cancer, 2012 was another important year in ob/gyn research. Here, the leaders of seven major ob/gyn societies reflect on the most exciting research of the last year.

Certain herbal and complementary medicines may be a valuable treatment option for women with postmenopausal symptoms, according to a new review outlining the advantages and limitations of the available treatments of postmenopausal symptoms.

The available evidence shows that the use of local estrogen treatment may improve the symptoms of urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women but that systemic estrogen worsens incontinence.

Applied relaxation techniques can effectively manage vasomotor symptoms of menopause, primarily hot flashes, in healthy women, according to the results of a new study conducted in Sweden.

In a new study, women who initiated hormone replacement therapy soon after beginning menopause and who continued treatment for 10 years had significantly reduced risk of myocardial infarction, heart failure, or death with no increased risk of cancer, venous thromboembolism, or stroke.

The claims that compounded bioidentical hormones are superior to conventional menopausal hormone therapy are unsupported by evidence, according to a new committee review of compounded bioidentical menopausal hormone therapy.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued draft recommendations for postmenopausal hormone therapy for the primary prevention of chronic conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, dementia, hip fracture, and breast cancer.

In a re-analysis of the WHI study 2002, the risks of HRT where misrepresented by the media and not corrected by those affiliated with the research.

In a highly critical re-analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study of 2002, the results of which prompted safety fears about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) significantly increasing the risk of breast cancer, it was concluded that the weight of evidence supports benefits over risks for use of HRT in women with severe symptoms of menopause or other conditions.

Women who experience early menopause are almost twice as likely to have osteoporosis and are at greater risk for fracture and death than women who experience menopause later in life, according to results of a 34-year study conducted in Sweden.

The North American Menopause Society has recently endorsed a flexible approach to the use of HRT that takes into account the individual patient’s needs, the type and timing of the therapy.

Group cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective tool in reducing menopause-related symptoms in women with a history of breast cancer, according to new research published in The Lancet Oncology.

Statin use in postmenopausal women is associated with an increased risk of new-onset diabetes mellitus, according to a new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Since the debate about the safety of hormone replacement therapy began, researchers, patients, and clinicians have searched for a safe alternative to help alleviate the symptoms associated with menopause. Now, a small study in Italy suggests that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) may be a solution.

According to some sources, there are as many as 600,000 hysterectomies performed annually in the US, making it the most common nonobstetrical surgical procedure among women in the US. While the procedure itself is relatively safe, we need to ask what are the long-term effects of a hysterectomy?

Lead researcher Dr Janet McLaren discusses the results of a new study exploring new concerns that rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and inflammatory bowel disease may lead to premature ovarian failure and early menopause.

Sexual desire is a normal and natural feeling for women and men. However, sexual desire can change over time, and can increase or decrease depending on the situation.

Vulvodynia is a medical term that means "painful vulva". The term can cover a wide variety of vulvar pain syndromes, including various infections and skin disorders.

“We just heard a presentation about one of the several new devices for contraception and you took part in a lot of research about this Transdermal Patches for contraception.

Women with Chronic Inflammatory Disease are at a Higher Risk for Premature Ovarian Failure and Early Menopause.

Hormone fluctuations. Hot flashes and night sweats. Depression and changes in mood. Coincidental and age-related changes in health and social issues. All of these factors associated with menopause can affect a patient’s sleep quality.

One of the earliest uses of HRT was documented in an 1897 publication highlighting the use of desiccated ovarian extracts to alleviate vasomotor symptoms. As science evolved, publications emerged describing the extraction of hormones from pregnant female urine (Emmenin®) in 1934 and eventually pregnant mare urine (Premarin®) in 1937 for the therapeutic relief of menopausal symptoms.

Despite the positive effects of hormone replacement therapy for treating menopause-related issues, HRT’s association with negative adverse outcomes has cast a dark shadow on it. Now, new research out of Europe shows that HRT also increases severe asthma attacks in patients.

Osteoporosis at any age can have devastating consequences. Fortunately, a number of bone-preserving measures can go a long way toward preventing this disease--not only in postmenopausal women, but also in young women at high risk.

During the past decade, research into postmenopausal osteoporosis has led to a heightened understanding of the disease process. Awareness of current diagnostic guidelines, prevention strategies, and treatment options is key to the successful management of this condition.

Researchers at the Rush Center for Clinical Studies at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago will investigate whether the hormone replacement therapy tibolone prevents spinal fractures in osteoporotic postmenopausal women.

Osteoporosis is a degenerative bone disease that affects approximately 24 million Americans. Of these, 33 percent are postmenopausal women who have decreased bone density due to lowered estrogen levels.

Osteoporosis is a decrease in bone mass and strength causing susceptibility to fractures. It is the major cause of bone fractures in postmenopausal women and older persons in general. Osteoporosis has no clear beginning, and until recently its first visible sign was a debilitating fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebral bodies causing pain or deformity.