Updates

It is known that women who smoke tend to have an earlier menopause than non-smokers and are more likely to experience hot flushes [1]. A recent paper reports a study to test the hypothesis that cigarette smoking is associated with hot flushes through a mechanism involving levels of androgen, progesterone and sex hormone binding globulin… Read More

In a recent paper, Watts and colleagues examined the clinical significance in non-responders of bone mineral density (BMD) measured at the femoral neck after 12-month treatment with teriparatide, a parathyroid hormone analogue, compared to placebo in terms of vertebral fracture risk reduction [1]. A BMD change from baseline of > 4% was considered to be… Read More

At the Breast Cancer Symposium held in San Antonio, Texas, in December, 2008, Chlebowski and colleagues [1] referred to correlated declines in the use of menopausal hormone therapy (HT) and the incidence of breast cancer, as reported in an analysis of the SEER database by Ravdin and colleagues [2], and they presented data from the… Read More

Several abstracts presented at the Annual meeting of the British Menopause Society and published in Menopause International discuss the role of nurses in providing menopausal care. In one study, the authors discuss the various roles that nurses may provide in menopausal care, ranging from those nurses who may serve as chaperones in exam rooms to… Read More

In a recent paper, using a case history of a patient with classical menopausal symptoms, Martin and Manson have reviewed in short the recent data and controversies over hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and discussed hormonal regimens (oral, transdermal) and dosage, duration of therapy and alternative treatment options [1]. The main motif of the article is… Read More

The 10-year probability of fracture in an individual can be calculated using the FRAX® fracture risk assessment tool. FRAX is available online [1] or as a paper model. The calculation of fracture risk, as well as utilization in management algorithms, is country-specific. In a recent article [2], Kanis and colleagues explain that FRAX was developed… Read More

In the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Paola Villa and colleagues report the effect of genistein administration on cardiovascular risk factors, focusing on glucose metabolism and endothelial function, in postmenopausal women [1]. Fifty women (mean age 54 years, mean body mass index 27) were randomized to receive genistein (54 mg/day, n = 30) or… Read More

Several recent papers have reported a decreased risk of breast cancer with physical activity. Is there any strong evidence in favor of the positive effect of exercise? The aim of the paper from Leiztmann and colleagues [1] was to examine the type of activity and breast cancer risk in a prospective cohort enrolled in the… Read More

Joanne Ryan and colleagues report, in a recent issue of Psychoneuroendocrinology, the effects of ‘lifetime’ exposure to estrogen on various measures of cognitive function [1]. The study emanates from observations of the French ESPRIT cohort, and encompasses the follow-up of 996 French women, aged 65 and older over 4 years. Rather on focusing on the… Read More

For women, urinary incontinence and other related lower urinary tract symptoms (e.g. nocturia, urinary urgency, frequency) are common, often increasing in frequency as women age. Urinary incontinence, however, is more than just a physiologic loss of urine. Emotional distress is also a significant issue for incontinent individuals. Researchers and clinicians are increasingly aware of the… Read More