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Archive

Archive for the ‘Health’ Category

Caregiver Village, an online community….

October 22nd, 2011 No comments

At Caregiver Village, we’re here to serve the needs and concerns of today’s caregivers. Its a place to connect with other people who face similar challenges, obtain valuable resources, share journal entries and read those of others about caregiving journeys. Visitors can meet well-known authors and participate in their book clubs and play our Village Chronicles game, for learning or just for fun.  The Village Chronicles is an entertaining on-line mystery adventure story that integrates caregiving situations into a game-like atmosphere. You can connect with your friends, find links to valuable resources within Caregiver Village, solve puzzles, achieve ranks, and earn badges. It’s a learning experience that is engaging and fun.

Learn more at:  http://www.caregivervillage.com/social-media

Eat Your Fruit and Vegetable…Extracts

April 23rd, 2011 No comments

As a menopause specialist, I am often asked to review natural supplements. There are plenty of natural options available so I can understand the difficulty one may have in choosing.   Most natural supplements for menopause contain either black cohosh, soy, ginseng, red clover, dong quai or their extracts.   I recently learned of new supplement that didn’t contain any of these ingredients. I was intrigued and decided to learn more about it. This natural supplement called “Warmi” contains vegetable and fruit extracts, from Peru. The vegetable is believed to have been eaten by Incan women 700 years ago.

 
I reviewed the Warmi research. There are three clinical trials completed but not published on the product.   It appears to offer the hot flash, cold sweat and mood swing relief I’ve found with better natural menopause remedies.

Read more…

New report from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) regarding estrogen plus progestin hormone therapy and breast cancer.

October 30th, 2010 No comments

 There was a report from the WHI that focused on breast cancer cases and risk of dying associated with the use of common hormones used in menopause….Prempro (combined conjugated equine estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate).   The study consisted of an average treatment time of 5.6 years and followed patients for an average of 11 years.

The new data relates to the risk of dying from breast cancer.  The study showed an extra 1 to 2 deaths from breast cancer per 10,000 women per year.  Specifically, for every 10,000 women in the study who were randomized to placebo, there were 1.3 deaths from breast cancer per year. For every 10,000 women randomized to combined hormone therapy, there were 2.6 deaths from breast cancer per year.  

Importantly, these results apply to the use of the combination of estrogen and progestin and not to estrogen alone. Therefore, for women who have had a hysterectomy and taking only estrogen…these results do not apply.  Similarly, the study did not study all types of hormone therapy.  Neither estradiol products or progesterone products were studied….therefore, no conclusion can be drawn about these products.  Read more…

A Womens’ Nation Takes on Alzheimer’s Disease

October 19th, 2010 No comments

In women, estrogen loss found in the perimenopausal and menopausal transition can sometimes mimic symptoms of more serious illnesses, like Alzheimer’s Disease. Estrogen influences language skills, mood, attention, and a number of other functions in addition to memory. Estrogen related cognitive deficits may be differentiated from those associated with other conditions through a careful history, examination and testing, so see you doctor soon. Early differential diagnosis and treatment is key to delay the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.


For more information visit

http://www.alz.org/shriverreport/index.html

Thyroid Problems and Menopause

October 5th, 2010 3 comments

What is Hypothyroidism?

The thyroid gland is one of the major endocrine (hormone secreting) glands of the body. It is a small gland located near the Adam’s apple and shaped like an “H”. Unless enlarged, it can barely be felt or seen. The thyroid gland secretes hormones that adjust the body’s metabolism. Your metabolism controls the speed at which chemical processes occur in the body, which affects many functions such as heart rate, temperature, and stamina/energy. The element iodine is needed to produce the two thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3). The release of T4 and T3 is dependent on a hormone called TSH (thyroid secreting hormone).

 What are the Risk Factors for Hypothyroidism?
In the U.S., between 7 and 10% of the population over the age of 55 are affected by a thyroid disorder, with Caucasians more commonly affected than African-Americans. Females are 5-8 times more likely to have a thyroid disorder compared to men.

Hypothyroidism can be due to a variety of causes, including history of thyroid radiation, treatment for an overactive thyroid (Graves disease), removal of thyroid gland, and certain medications, such as lithium, amiodarone and iodine. The most common cause of hypothyroidism is a medical condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Read more…

Breast Cancer Prevention

September 28th, 2010 No comments

A timely and well written book is now available as a free download.  Written by Dr. Aaron Tabor, it offers evidence based medical tips about helping to prevent breast cancer.  I would highly recommend reading this book to all patients.  The book is available for download at no cost:

 http://www.fightBCnow.com

 The book empowers one to fight cancer proactively through diet and lifestyle changes based on the latest medical research. For example, switching  to a low-glycemic diet can reduce relative risk by over 250%.   Doctors don’t have time to share this information with their patients so it is critical that we educate others now.

John A. Sunyecz, M.D.

Do calcium supplements increase the risk of heart disease?

August 11th, 2010 No comments

Recent media reports reviewed a study from New Zealand that concluded calcium supplements increase the risk of heart attacks among subjects.  To verify the link between calcium supplements and heart attacks, researchers at the University of Auckland studied the records of 12,000 people, both male and female, who had previously joined 11 separate clinical trials.   Participants (all over age 40) in this study from the British Medical Journal were given at least 500 mg of elemental calcium per day. The researchers concluded that calcium supplements increase the risk of myocardial infarction by about 30% over five years. 

This new study contradicts many previous studies that showed increased calcium intake did not affect cardiac health.  In fact, a study released in the July/August, 2010 Journal of the North American Menopause Society concluded that moderate doses of calcium plus vitamin D did not seem to alter the risk of future cardiovascular disease.  This study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative, and was a prospective study in which data was collected over seven years.  In contrast, the New Zealand study was meta-analysis type of study, which is considered an inferior type of study compared to a prospective study.  Read more…

MenopauseRx comments on Supplement Safety

August 9th, 2010 1 comment

Consumer Reports’ ‘Dirty Dozen’: 12 Risky Supplements
These Products May Do More Harm Than Good, Reviewers Warn
Aug. 3, 2010—
In 2009, Americans spent close to $27 billion on supplements — but some of them could be more harmful than good.

This topic was introduced on Good Morning America this week when Dr. Richard Besser discussed the “dirty dozen” supplement ingredients list released by Consumer Reports…

We suggest that you research whether you may be taking one or more of these “dirty dozen” products. As a consumer, you need to thoroughly investigate each and every supplement that you take. While it is important to review your supplement regimen with your doctor, remember, many physicians are not taught about natural products or supplements. If your physician is not knowledgable about your supplements, don’t hesitate to discuss with your pharmacist. Below is a list of the 12 products mentioned in the report.

1. Aconite
2. Bitter Orange
3. Chaparral
4. Colloidal Silver
5. Coltsfoot
6. Comfrey
7. Country Mallow
8. Germanium
9. Greater Celandine
10. Kava
11. Lobelia
12. Yohimbe
Source: Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database, Professional Version, June 2010

We have checked out the MenopauseRx Store for your safety!

We are asking that you do the same for your medicine cabinet.

Natural Menopause Remedies

July 18th, 2010 2 comments

Menopause symptoms may begin several years before your periods actually end and last for several months or several years after that. Women usually notice the beginning of perimenopause symptoms in their 40’s and irregularities usually persist for approximately five years. The average age of actual menopause in the U.S. is around 51.   As women go through these steps, it is important to remember that the “change” called menopause is a natural, normal phase of female development. It is not a disease process. While we speak of symptoms and treatments, those are only comfortable terms to describe what you may be feeling and what you can do about it. While women may be scared and frustrated by what’s happening, they should not consider themselves sick as they go through this transition.   At the same time, women may have important questions about the effects of changing hormones on their body and about illnesses that may become more likely with increasing age.  Natural and complimentary products are widely used during the perimenopause and menopause transition, with varying degrees of clinical and/or safety data.  Below is a review of some of the most popular natural products used today.

 Read on for information about the most commonly used natural products during the menopause transition.

Read more…

What are your thoughts? – Increasing Life Expectancy… Is Menopause the new puberty?

July 16th, 2010 1 comment

The average life expectancy in Colonial America was under 25 years in the Virginia colony. The average life expectancy of a woman in the United States is now over 80 years of age.

Menopause is the New Puberty
Women usually notice the beginning of perimenopause symptoms in there 40’s and irregularities usually persist for approximately five years. The average age of actual menopause in the U.S. is around 51. Therefore, women may have 30+ years left in postmenopause.

Learning to Control Your Menopause and Perimenopause Symptoms.
You need to realize that you know your body better than any lab test. If you are not feeling like yourself and experiencing symptoms associated with menopause there are options available. You do not have to suffer in silence. Quite the opposite…

You’re familiar with menopause symptoms… the hot flashes, night sweats and sleeplessness, diminished sex drive, mood swings, skin and hair problems. Finding a treatment that’s right for your unique set of menopause symptoms has always been tricky. More than ever, getting straight answers to your menopause questions is vitally important to your health, comfort, and peace of mind.

What are your thoughts on this topic?