In a study, DHEA appeared to ease the severity of menopause symptoms, including one of the most frustrating: decreased sexual appetite.

For some women going through menopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can mean the difference between unbearable and manageable symptoms. but HRT has been getting a lot of negative press recently, as studies have shown increased risk for cancer, heart disease, and stroke.

Some women, wary of these risks, may be looking for another option. now there could be one. the adrenal hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) appears to ease the severity of menopause symptoms, including a particularly frustrating one for many women: decreased sexual function. in women and in men, DHEA serves as a precursor hormone from which other reproductive hormones, like estrogen and testosterone, are synthesized.

The new study followed 48 women who had been suffering from menopause symptoms for a year. the women were divided into four groups. one group took low-dose DHEA; one took standard estrogen-progesterone HRT; one group took a synthetic hormone called tibolone, which has previously been suggested to improve menopause symptoms; and the last took a vitamin D supplement.

At the end of a year-long period, the women in the first three groups — that is, those taking hormones of any sort — had significantly improved menopause symptoms compared to the women who had been taking vitamin D supplements.

Singling out sexual function, the researchers observed that women taking DHEA and HRT reported significantly more interest in sex and more sexual activity than before beginning the hormones. the women taking tibolone also reported better sexual function, but the difference was not as great as for women taking DHEA or HRT. There was no change in the women taking vitamin D.

Because it is a precursor hormone, DHEA may work by increasing levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, all of which could play a role in sexual function. the results of the study sound promising, and they could well be, but the study was very small, with only about 12 women in each experimental group.

“This is an interesting result,” said Climacteric journal editor Anna Fenton in a news release, “although we must bear in mind that this is a pilot study with a small sample. nevertheless, it does indicate that DHEA has potential as a therapy to help women deal with the physical discomfort of the menopause, as well as helping them sexually.”

Larger clinical trials will of course be needed before any solid conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness, safety, and dosing of DHEA. Longer-term studies will also have to determine whether DHEA given over a period of years has any adverse effects. it is important to point out that products advertising that they contain natural DHEA, like yam or soy products, are misleading, since the body cannot actually synthesize DHEA from these chemicals. it will be interesting to follow the clinical research as it develops, and determines whether DHEA might be an effective alternative to HRT.

The research was carried out by a team at the University of Pisa, and published in the December 2011 issue of Climacteric.

Image: Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock.

This article originally appeared on TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com, an Atlantic partner site.

While hormone replacement therapy (HRT) used to be seen by many as the panacea, its safety profile has plummeted since research in 2002 linked it with a higher risk of breast cancer, stroke and blood clots (even though for most women the risk of these is still small – see box).

A million women quit HRT virtually overnight and by 2006, only 15 per cent of those aged 50-plus were taking it, compared to 40 per cent in 2000. Only this month, figures from Cancer Research UK pointed to HRT as the cause of the small rise in breast cancer over the past decade.

Since then, not much has emerged as an effective treatment for menopause symptoms. the latest research suggests that acupuncture may help ease hot flushes, with women who had needles inserted at various points on the body reporting fewer of these symptoms than those who had sham treatment. the theory is that this traditional Chinese treatment may help stabilise the body’s temperature controls. But, with only 53 women participating, the findings are far from proven.

For women in demanding jobs like Layward’s senior management role, this time of life can be particularly tough. At work she did her best to hide her symptoms, despite feeling lousy much of the time. “there was no way on earth I would have gone to HR and told them about how I was feeling,” she says. “it would have felt like professional suicide.”

And with hot flushes visibly obvious, she didn’t wish to become a figure of fun to some of her more ribald colleagues. “In the past, I’d seen women at work teased when they were having hot flushes” she says.

High-profile celebrities such as Oprah and Kim Cattrall (whose character, Samantha, experiences hot flushes in Sex and the City) may be “coming out” about the menopause; but new research reveals that, as in Layward’s case, “the change” is still something working women prefer to keep to themselves, out of embarrassment and fear of being seen as less competent.

The study, just published by the University of Nottingham, has shown that nearly half of women going through the menopause have difficulty coping with symptoms at work; yet two thirds say they would not dream of disclosing their menopausal status to their bosses, male or female. this was particularly true of those in demanding jobs – which might involve giving presentations at lengthy meetings, for example. half of these said they would also avoid mentioning hot flushes and other symptoms to colleagues, especially if these were men or younger women,

It is understandable that people want to keep intimate health details to themselves, says lead researcher Amanda Griffiths, Professor of Occupational Health Psychology at Nottingham. But with 3.5 million women over the age of 50 working full-time, the challenge of the menopause is fast becoming an occupational health issue and should be treated as such, with more support from employers, she says.

“If women don’t feel they can speak openly, then they won’t get the support they need,” she argues. Prof Griffiths’s study is the basis of new guidance published by the TUC on how support for menopausal women can be increased, through more awareness, more flexible working hours and, crucially, improvements in workplace temperature control and ventilation.

“If you need to take a break and have a lie down, you are entitled to ask for it. it should be understood that you may need a fan, to sit by an open window or have time out,” she adds.

Jenny Hislop, senior researcher in primary care at Oxford University, who has recently conducted extensive interviews with nearly 50 menopausal women for the charity website, Healthtalkonline, agrees that women are reluctant to talk about some of the difficulties.

“We found that menopausal symptoms are at odds with the self-confident, professional image women want to convey at work,” she says.

Her interviews include one senior police officer who contemplated early retirement when she felt her hard-won authority was being undermined by menopausal symptoms. “I was suffering frequent panic attacks and very frightening problems with concentration and memory loss. it felt as though somebody had taken the chip out of my brain,” she says. Another woman, working on a Tesco checkout, felt it was better to join in male colleagues’ laughter at her hot flushes than show her feelings. “Deep down, you’re upset, but it’s happening in a public place so what can you do? You get your blonde jokes, you get your menopause jokes,” she says.

It doesn’t help that the menopause is largely neglected in medical education and GP training, says Oxford GP Sally Hope, a specialist in women’s reproductive health. “the consensus among GPs today is that menopausal symptoms are trivial – and most doctors don’t have time to offer the support needed or talk through the complex issues surrounding HRT.”

Layward, who is now working as an independent scientific consultant, eventually decided to take HRT after carefully weighing up its risks and benefits, and says she has never regretted it. “My symptoms disappeared as quickly as they had arrived and six years later, I still feel great. anyone who tries to take it off me will have a fight on their hands.”

Just in case any younger women are now dreading the menopause, there is a liberating upside to this time of life, she adds reassuringly. it is not just that her children are grown up and flown the nest. “not having to worry about getting pregnant or the menstrual cycle is lovely, and I feel I have a lot more confidence and experience.”

healthtalkonline.org

Menopause: what works?

Eight out of 10 women suffer from menopausal symptoms, linked to fluctuations in hormone levels as fertility comes to an end. These include hot flushes, memory loss, mood swings and vaginal dryness.

HRT is effective but has risks for every 1,000 women using HRT in their 50s, there will be six extra cases of breast cancer, blood clots or stroke. Regulatory bodies advise taking the “lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time”.

Tibolone, a synthetic hormone, can help but, like HRT, it increases the risk of stroke and breast cancer. Clonidine is sometimes used to treat hot flushes but has side effects. Testosterone, combined with oestrogen, may occasionally be given as implants for low sex drive.

Some women take plant oestrogens, available as supplements, but one study from 2007 found no good evidence for these. some experts worry that these could increase the risk of hormone-related cancers. Researchers are not sure if herbal remedies, such as agnus castus and black cohosh, are effective.

Women who start hormone replacement therapy as they begin to go through menopause have a higher risk of breast cancer than women who start taking the drugs later, researchers claim.

The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, help answer lingering questions about just who is and who is not at greater risk of side-effects from taking HRT.

The study of more than one million British women showed that those who waited five years or more to take HRT had little or no increased risk of breast cancer. but those who started it as they entered menopause had a 43 percent higher risk.

The HRT study has been carried out by Oxford University researchers

‘In this large study, we found greater risks of breast cancer if hormonal therapy use began either before or soon after menopause than after a longer gap,’ said Dr. Valerie Beral of Oxford University in the report.

‘And this pattern of risk was seen across different types of hormonal therapy, among women who used hormonal therapy for either short of long durations, and also in lean and in overweight and obese women.’

The findings match those of the U.S.-based Women’s Health Initiative, which found women who took HRT right at menopause had a 41 per cent higher risk of breast cancer than those who waited, said Dr. Rowan Chlebowski of the Los Angeles BioMedical Research Institute and Garnet Anderson of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle.

But Chlebowski and Anderson pointed out that the opposite is true of heart disease where women who start HRT earlier have a lower risk than women who start later.

Before 2002, doctors widely prescribed hormone replacement therapy to lower the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, both of which go up sharply after menopause, as well as annoying symptoms such as hot flashes.

But the Women’s Health Initiative study found HRT raised the risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. Sales of HRT plummeted, especially Wyeth’s estrogen-progestin Prempro pills, which have fallen by about 50 percent since 2001.

In 2001, more than 16 million U.S. women took some form of HRT pill, but by 2009 only 6 million did.

Doctors noted that the Women’s Health Initiative study involved women whose average age was 63, who took relatively high-dose Prempro pills and who were mostly overweight.

No one was sure what would happen for younger, healthier women taking different formulations.

Beral’s team confirmed that no matter which formulation, younger women using HRT raised their risk of breast cancer, but this risk disappeared almost as soon as they stopped.

The overall risk of breast cancer remains low in either group, less than one per cent a year.

Other studies have also shown that breast cancer rates fell as soon as women stopped using HRT. A study from Canada last September found breast cancer rates among older women fell 10 percent after 2002.

Chelbowski’s team reported last October that women who took hormone replacement pills had more advanced breast cancers and were more likely to die from them than women who took a dummy pill.

Posted on: Wednesday, 1 December 2010, 00:41 CST

Women across the country are being exposed to important medical facts in a new movie that humorously and accurately portrays the perimenopause and menopausal stages of life. The new movie called “Hot Flash Havoc“ is about to debut in over 30 cities around the country. The film gives women factual information from recognized national women’s health experts to help them improve their quality of life choices in the various stages of menopause.

Grand Rapids, Michigan (Vocus/PRWEB) November 30, 2010

Hundreds of women have been flocking to the film debut of "Hot Flash Havoc – a film of Menopausal Proportions" within the past two months. In Washington D.C. over 400 women attended its National debut, while in Aspen, Colorado and Grand Rapids, Michigan, film events have sold out with audiences exceeding 500 women.

The film includes doctors, clinicians, researchers, journalists, and spokespersons from women’s health foundations who provide the latest facts about menopause as it relates to Women’s Sexual Health, Heart Health, Bone Health, Mental and Physical Health.

“The reason for the excitement”, says Executive Producer Heidi Houston, “is that women have been given conflicting information about how to deal with menopause. Women come away from this film finally understanding what they can do about menopause including the options of hormone replacement therapy to help significantly improve their quality of life. The NIH has done a disservice to women over the past ten years by allowing the media to release alarmist headlines about potential risks with no information about the many benefits of HRT."

Topics covered in the film include:Hot Flash Havoc was inspired by Executive Producer Heidi Houston, who began to have health symptoms that were the precursor to menopause. Thinking that these were health disorders, she sought medical advice. her journey took her to six different doctors, clinics and medicine men to seek answers. after three years of misdiagnosis of her symptoms she finally got answers from an expert. The physician concluded that each symptom was not a health problem but menopause. Houston decided to pursue the goal of creating a film in order to help all women know factual information about menopause so that they could become their own health care advocate and make enlightened decisions throughout their lives. She wanted to create a film about menopause where Hollywood entertainment crossed paths with women’s health.

The Film "HOT FLASH HAVOC" has been nominated as an Official Selection for Documentary Category and nominated for best Documentary Contemporary Issue in the Miami International Film Festival; an Official Selection for the Colorado Film Festival; and an Official Selection in the Aspen Film Festival.

Cities where Hot Flash Havoc is scheduled to appear include:

Other cities that are in the process of scheduling the film’s appearance include: Albuquerque, Atlanta, Birmingham, Alabama; Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Detroit, Gig Harbor, Washington; Greensboro, North Carolina; Kansas City, Missouri; Los Angeles, New York, Orange County, California; Portland, Oregon; San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tulsa Oklahoma and Wausau, Wisconsin.

Cities and organizations that wish to sign up for the Hot Flash Havoc U.S. and Canada premier should contact hotflashhavoc.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: prweb.com/releases/prweb2010/11/prweb8011605.htm

More News in this Category

BY MELISSA JOHNSON, M.D.

Special to the Times

In the U.S., the average life expectancy for a woman is 80 years. that means most American women will be post-menopausal for one-third of their lives, so the effects of their menopause treatment should be carefully considered.

A common treatment for the symptoms of menopause is hormone replacement therapy. In recent years, however, concerns about side effects have risen and non-experts have promoted alternatives, leaving many women asking whether hormone therapy is a safe treatment for the symptoms of menopause or if “bio-identical” hormones are a safer alternative.

Understanding menopause

Menopause begins when a woman’s ovaries stop producing eggs, causing hormone levels to drop and menstrual periods to end. the low estrogen level is often associated with hot flashes and night sweats, as well as difficulty sleeping, forgetfulness and even depression.

For some women, the symptoms can last for years. To treat the symptoms, we need to understand why they occur.

The area of the brain that controls body temperature is strongly influenced by estrogen. a drop in estrogen levels can confuse the brain and cause hot flashes and night sweats. the night sweats can make it difficult to sleep, and that can lead to memory problems and depression.

Boosting estrogen levels to premenopausal levels through replacement therapies can alleviate the hot flashes and night sweats, which can lead to better sleep patterns that correct the rest of the symptoms.

Bio-Identical hormones

In 2002, a national study found that long-term hormone therapy after menopause was associated with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, breast cancer and blood clots in the legs.

Although the absolute risk is small, the finding concerned many women, leading them to seek alternatives such as bio-identical hormones.

Unfortunately, there is no consistent definition of the term bio-identical hormone. In some cases, it is used in reference to hormones that are molecularly identical to those produced by our bodies. In others, it references the practice of custom compounding hormones to match the individual woman’s “natural” hormone levels.

To date, there has been no medical evidence demonstrating a difference between the effects of bio-identical hormones and non-bio-identical hormones, although many bio-identical hormone proponents claim these treatments are either safer or more effective.

Despite these claims, and those of many celebrity non-experts, the hormones prescribed by your doctor remain the safest. They have been used for years (some for decades), and their short- and long-term effects are carefully scrutinized by the FDA and independent researchers.

For some women, hormone therapy is not recommended at all. there are other medicinal alternatives that work, but lifestyle changes can also help. For example, exercising regularly, avoiding tobacco and maintaining a healthy weight can help minimize the symptoms of menopause.

If you are experiencing menopause symptoms, talk with your doctor. together, you can find a treatment that is right for you.

Melissa Johnson, M.D., is a board certified OB/GYN and is a part of the Sutter East Bay Medical Foundation. she is affiliated with Eden Medical Center.