New research suggests that estrogen replacement therapy shields women from coronary heart disease, the number one killer of Finnish women. Estrogen therapy replaces the hormones women’s bodies stop making at menopause.
Women’s blood vessel heath decreases with age, affecting the functioning of estrogen in the body. Pauliina Tuomikoski, who’s dissertating on the subject on Wednesday, found that women who experienced strong sweating during menopause had healthier vessels than women who were symptomless. The vessels of the women who sweated expanded better—which is considered a good thing for heart health. Estrogen supplements further boosted vessel flexibility.
”Estrogen replacement therapy maintained and improved the functioning of blood vessels among women experiencing flushes and sweats. Their blood pressure also decreased,” says Tuomikoski.
Hormone replacement therapy remains a contentious issue in the medical community. Many women entering menopause are apprehensive about taking estrogen supplements because they fear it will increase their chances of developing breast cancer.
“Using hormone replacements for more than five years slightly increases the risk of breast cancer. However, this only applies to women who begin hormone treatment after 60,” says Tuomikoski.
While the average age for menopause is 51, some women begin experiencing hot flashes already around 40. Three-quarters of menopausal women suffer from excessive sweating.
One hundred fifty healthy menopausal women participated in the study.
Some 350,000 Finnish women take estrogen supplements.
source: yle.fi
No comments:
Post a Comment