Yes, you can...Katy Hayward had hot flashes and irregular periods, but when she couldn't get pregnant, the doctors reassured her that she was in 'peak health'.
She insisted on seeing a specialist and at just 28, was told she had gone into early menopause.
In fact 1 woman in 1,000 goes through early menopause while still under 30 years old, 1 in a 100 whilst under 40 and 5 in a 100 when they are under 45.
Because of the loss of estrogen this condition causes, early menopause in women can lead to an increase in bone loss and fractures and more chance of having a stroke and heart attack.
Dr Beth Cartwright, from the Menopause Research Unit at Guy's Hospital London hopes to make things better for women like Katy, by undertaking a study, as there is so little known about the condition that they do not even know the best treatment regime.
If you're interested in taking part in this study, contact Dr Beth Cartwright, Menopause Research Unit at Guy's Hospital on 020 7188 3024 or email her at beth.cartwrightatkcl.ac.uk, replacing the at with @.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Phytoestogens Study receives $8 million to research its effects on health
A Study being conducted on the effects of phytoestrogens on health will get an $8 million boost from the National Institutes of Health. The Botanical Research Center which is based at the University of Illinois, will draw on the expertise of a multidisciplinary team of researchers to address the many unknowns associated with use of botanical estrogens.
These plants and plant-based compounds are often marketed as aids to prevent cancer, promote healthy aging or relieve menopausal symptoms. Researchers from Illinois, the University of Mississippi, Oregon State University and the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research will contribute to the five-year effort.
Many women take plant-based estrogens (also called phytoestrogens) that are advertised as natural - and, they presume, safer - alternatives to hormone-replacement therapy.
Foods, supplements and extracts made from soy, licorice root, wild yam and dong quai, for example, are believed to reduce the occurrence of hot flashes, improve sex drive, lower the incidence or prevent the recurrence of breast cancer, enhance mental function or treat other health problems.
Today, phytoestrogens are added to teas and energy drinks, used as food additives and marketed as nutritional supplements. The estrogenic components of the plants - such as the isoflavone genistein in soy - are often extracted and used in highly concentrated form.
Research into their efficacy and safety has yielded mixed results. Consumption of some plants or extracts appears to reduce the risk of some cancers or minimize some of the unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause, while others have no effect. Still other studies, some of them conducted at Illinois, have found that certain phytoestrogens may actually induce cognitive problems, increase the recurrence of breast cancer and interfere with breast cancer treatment.
"The types of botanical estrogens that are being marketed are getting more and more potent," said William Helferich, a professor of food science and human nutrition at Illinois and the director of the new center. "We want to see if they really are effective or detrimental."
The new grant supports three projects led by Illinois faculty. The projects will explore whether and how phytoestrogens from soy, licorice root, dong quai and wild yam affect various tissues, influence gene expression or other cellular processes, increase or decrease the growth and metastasis of breast cancer tumors, influence bone loss or alter the rate of cognitive decline in aging.
View the original article here
These plants and plant-based compounds are often marketed as aids to prevent cancer, promote healthy aging or relieve menopausal symptoms. Researchers from Illinois, the University of Mississippi, Oregon State University and the FDA's National Center for Toxicological Research will contribute to the five-year effort.
Many women take plant-based estrogens (also called phytoestrogens) that are advertised as natural - and, they presume, safer - alternatives to hormone-replacement therapy.
Foods, supplements and extracts made from soy, licorice root, wild yam and dong quai, for example, are believed to reduce the occurrence of hot flashes, improve sex drive, lower the incidence or prevent the recurrence of breast cancer, enhance mental function or treat other health problems.
Today, phytoestrogens are added to teas and energy drinks, used as food additives and marketed as nutritional supplements. The estrogenic components of the plants - such as the isoflavone genistein in soy - are often extracted and used in highly concentrated form.
Research into their efficacy and safety has yielded mixed results. Consumption of some plants or extracts appears to reduce the risk of some cancers or minimize some of the unpleasant symptoms associated with menopause, while others have no effect. Still other studies, some of them conducted at Illinois, have found that certain phytoestrogens may actually induce cognitive problems, increase the recurrence of breast cancer and interfere with breast cancer treatment.
"The types of botanical estrogens that are being marketed are getting more and more potent," said William Helferich, a professor of food science and human nutrition at Illinois and the director of the new center. "We want to see if they really are effective or detrimental."
The new grant supports three projects led by Illinois faculty. The projects will explore whether and how phytoestrogens from soy, licorice root, dong quai and wild yam affect various tissues, influence gene expression or other cellular processes, increase or decrease the growth and metastasis of breast cancer tumors, influence bone loss or alter the rate of cognitive decline in aging.
View the original article here
Wednesday, August 04, 2010
Hot Flashes May Be Improved By Weight Loss
According to a report in one of the JAMA journals an intensive weight loss intervention program may lead to improvements in flushing amongst overweight and obese women with bothersome hot flushes during menopause.
"Hot flushes are among the most common concerns of women during menopause and persist for five or more years past menopause in as many as one-third of women," the authors write as background to the article. "In multiple observational studies, women with a higher body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) have reported more frequent or severe hot flushes compared with women with a lower BMI."
In a six-month randomized controlled trial, Alison J. Huang, M.D., from the University of California, San Francisco and her collegues, used self-administered questionnaires to assess bothersome hot flushes. The authors studied 338 women with an average age of 53, who were overweight or obese.
What they found was that in the initial stages, decreases in weight, BMI and abdominal circumference decreased the hot flashes according to the women themselves.
What's more this reduction in hot flushes was not found to be caused by the change in lifestyle, ie exercise, calorie intake etc.
"Hot flushes are among the most common concerns of women during menopause and persist for five or more years past menopause in as many as one-third of women," the authors write as background to the article. "In multiple observational studies, women with a higher body mass index (BMI; calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) have reported more frequent or severe hot flushes compared with women with a lower BMI."
In a six-month randomized controlled trial, Alison J. Huang, M.D., from the University of California, San Francisco and her collegues, used self-administered questionnaires to assess bothersome hot flushes. The authors studied 338 women with an average age of 53, who were overweight or obese.
What they found was that in the initial stages, decreases in weight, BMI and abdominal circumference decreased the hot flashes according to the women themselves.
What's more this reduction in hot flushes was not found to be caused by the change in lifestyle, ie exercise, calorie intake etc.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
HRT Increases Risk of Dementia
Even though many women feel that their memory is no longer as sharp as it was before the menopause, apparently that is not the case.
Researchers say the myth of memory loss during menopause is a perception some women have because as they went through menopause, they felt their memory wasn't as sharp as it had been before.
Demantia, which is an age related condition can however affect women as they grow older.
It was believed at one time that hormone replacement therapy could prevent this.
Studies suggesting that hormone replacement therapy might protect against dementia strengthened that belief. However, a large study later found that in older women, hormone replacement therapy not only didn't help protect women from dementia, but could actually increase the risk.
Researchers say the myth of memory loss during menopause is a perception some women have because as they went through menopause, they felt their memory wasn't as sharp as it had been before.
Demantia, which is an age related condition can however affect women as they grow older.
It was believed at one time that hormone replacement therapy could prevent this.
Studies suggesting that hormone replacement therapy might protect against dementia strengthened that belief. However, a large study later found that in older women, hormone replacement therapy not only didn't help protect women from dementia, but could actually increase the risk.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Menopause Not The Only Factor Affecting Sexuality in Middle Aged Women
Sexual activity amongst menopausal women differs greatly between individuals according to new research from the University of Sheffield
It suggests that rather than hormonal changes during the menopause, external factors such as a partner's reduced libido, depth of relationship and caring for a relative had more of an impact on sexual satisfaction during the menopause.
Dr Sharron Hinchcliff says "biological research tends to report the negative impact of declining hormone levels on womens' ability to engage in and enjoy sexual activities, whereas our study found that some women actually saw an increase in sexual desire during this time”
The study concludes that the menopause is not the only factor that affects a woman's sexuality after a certain age and that lifestyle changes in mid-life also affect it.
It suggests that rather than hormonal changes during the menopause, external factors such as a partner's reduced libido, depth of relationship and caring for a relative had more of an impact on sexual satisfaction during the menopause.
Dr Sharron Hinchcliff says "biological research tends to report the negative impact of declining hormone levels on womens' ability to engage in and enjoy sexual activities, whereas our study found that some women actually saw an increase in sexual desire during this time”
The study concludes that the menopause is not the only factor that affects a woman's sexuality after a certain age and that lifestyle changes in mid-life also affect it.
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