Bone antiresorptives, mostly bisphosphonates, are used in the treatment of metastatic bone disease from solid malignancies to reduce bone destruction, pain and skeleton-related events (SREs). Von Moos and colleagues [1] have reported pooled results from three randomized, identically designed, double-blind trials comparing subcutaneous denosumab (120 mg every 4 weeks) and intravenous zoledronic acid (4 mg/month)… Read More
Use of hormone therapy by Chinese ob-gyns
In a recent survey study by Wang and colleagues [1], a total of 2000 self-administered questionnaires were sent to female obstetricians-gynecologists (ob-gyns) attending the Gynecological Endocrinology workshops held from February to May 2013 in 15 provinces and cities in China. A total of 904 eligible questionnaires were collected (response rate, 45.2%). The majority of the… Read More
Head-to-head comparison of estrogen vs. SNRI for vasomotor symptoms
The aim of a recently published study was to determine the efficacy and tolerability of low-dose oral 17β-estradiol and low-dose venlafaxine extended release in alleviating vasomotor symptoms (VMS) [1]. In total, 339 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women (42–62 years old, mean age 55 years) with at least two bothersome VMS per day (mean 8.1 per day)… Read More
Reports from the 2014 World Congress, Cancun
For more details from Cancun, visit http://www.imscancun2014.com/… Read More
Transdermal testosterone: ongoing search for a female dose
The steady-state pharmacokinetics of two doses of a transdermal testosterone cream: 5 and 10 mg was investigated after daily application for 21 days by Fooladi and colleagues in a two-way, cross-over study conducted for 6 weeks [1]. Seven healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 59.3 years) were randomly allocated to 5 or 10 mg of transdermal… Read More
Routine calcium and vitamin D supplementation: the end of the story?
Clinical guidelines recommend the routine use of calcium and vitamin D supplementation for the prevention of fractures, especially at old age. Recent publications highlight the strong debate which has erupted in the past 5 years on the safety profile and efficacy of this treatment. I will try to put things in order for those who… Read More
Fibromyalgia and menopause: any link?
The April 16 issue of [i]JAMA[/i] included a kind of a review on fibromyalgia, which was actually based on a conference that took place at the Medicine Grand Rounds at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, on October 2012 [1]. The article starts with a case history of a 64-year-old woman with ongoing, long-term,… Read More
Recurrent venous thromboembolism in estrogen users
This trial was performed within the frame of the Austrian Study on Recurrent Venous Thromboembolism (AUREC), an ongoing prospective cohort study [1]. Between July 1992 and September 2008, consecutive patients with a first distal and/or proximal deep-vein thrombosis of the leg and/or pulmonary embolism who had been treated with anticoagulants for 3 to 18 months… Read More
Three alternative ways to treat VMS failed
A recent [i]Menopause Live[/i] commentary addressed the use of complementary medicine by symptomatic women (see the April 21 edition). Needless to say that the ideal and safest therapy for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) would be healthy lifestyle ('eat right and be physically active'). The April issue of the journal [i]Menopause[/i] includes three relevant randomized, controlled studies,… Read More
14th World Congress on Menopause
The 14th IMS World Congress on Menopause was held in Cancun, Mexico, 1st - 4th May 2014.… Read More
