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?

Hormone therapy is prescribed for troublesome symptoms during menopause.  While very effective in treating symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats and mood changes, its use has declined due to safety concerns.  These safety concerns became very well publicized after the 2002 report from the Women’s Health Initiative study. Click here for more information.

Currently, the use of hormone therapy is still considered the gold standard for treating moderate to severe menopause symptoms.  Due to safety concerns, use is generally limited to the lowest effective dose for the shortest time frame.  However, women still have concerns about the potential risks associated with hormone therapy use.  Fortunately, there is new research showing a potential benefit to alternative ways that hormone therapy is administered. 

Hormone therapy is commonly administered in an oral tablet form.  However, hormones can also be delivered effectively via the skin in a transdermal patch form.  Due to the manner in which the hormone is metabolized once absorbed, practitioners have wondered if the patch is a safer way to deliver hormones.  Click here for more information. 

Good News for Women

Fortunately, two recent studies have found the transdermal patch to be a potentially safer way to administer menopause hormones.  Most recently, Dr. Suissa and colleagues from McGill University in Montreal reported that the use of a low dose estrogen patch does not seem to increase the risk of stroke(1).  In March, the same group reported that the patch was not associated with an increased risk of blood clots in postmenopausal women.  Read more…

Last week, Prolia™ (denosumab) was approved for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture, defined as a history of osteoporotic fracture, or multiple risk factors for fracture; or patients who have failed or are intolerant to other available osteoporosis therapy.  In postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, Prolia reduces the incidence of vertebral, non-vertebral and hip fractures.  

 Prolia is the first and only RANK ligand inhibitor approved by the FDA.  Prolia has a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) that consists of a Medication Guide and a Dear Healthcare Professional Letter.  The manufacturer, Amgen, is also launching a voluntary program to monitor the long-term safety of Prolia and enhance the quality of data collected in the postmarketing setting.  This program is called the Prolia Post Marketing Active Safety Surveillance Program and is intended to collect information about pre-specified adverse events of special interest that may be reported by patients.  More information about this program may be found at www.proliasafety.com or by calling Amgen Medical Information at 1-800-772-6436.

 Prolia Important Safety Information 

Read more…

MenopauseRx is pleased to announce an agreement with the manufacturer of SalonPAS.  Beginning immediately, MenopauseRx will provide a free sample of SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCHwith each order from the MenopauseRx.com online store.  Each SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCHsample contains three (3) ultra thin, comfort stretch patches that are helpful in alleviating muscle pain.  Effectiveness related to stiff neck, sore shoulder, backache and joint pain has been confirmed in clinical trials.

The SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCH is the first and only FDA approved over-the-counter topical pain relief patch.  Two powerful ingredients, ‘Methyl Salicylate and Menthol’, go right to the site of pain. SALONPAS®PAIN RELIEF PATCH reduces inflammation and relieves mild to moderate pain for up to 12 hours.

Visit the MenopauseRx.com online store at:  http://www.MenopauseRx.com/shopsite_sc/store/html/index.php

What are the Risk Factors for an underactive Thyroid (i.e. 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.

What are the Symptoms of Hypothyroidism?
The symptoms of hypothyroidism can initially be very insidious. Some studies have found only 25-70% of elderly showing typical symptoms. A clinical exam does not establish the diagnosis in many cases. In fact, only 10% of patients with confirmed hypothyroidism were identified on a physical exam. The most important aspect of hypothyroidism is to be very cognizant regarding the subtle signs and symptoms that may develop. Alerting your physician to these signs and symptoms would allow laboratory testing to confirm the diagnosis.

Common symptoms include:

• dry skin
• hair loss
• cold intolerance
• confusion
• difficulty in concentrating
• constipation
• fatigue
• sluggishness
• hoarseness
• depression
• muscle cramps
• weight gain
• menstrual irregularities

Notice that many of these symptoms can easily be confused with menopause and perimenopause symptoms….Read on to help figure out how to diagnose a thyroid disorder.

Read more…

This month is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.  MenopauseRx would like to remind women that osteoporosis is especially prominent after the menopause transition.  Bone loss occurs during the perimenopause and after the menopause transition.  Unfortunately, the can lead to an increased risk of a serious fracture.  In fact, one out of every two women over the age of 50 will suffer from osteoporosis.  The goal of enhanced awareness is to reduce the widespread prevalence of osteoporosis and associated fractures and to find a cure for the disease through programs of awareness, education, advocacy and research.

Learn more at: http://www.menopauserx.com/health_center/health_Osteoporosis.htm