July 2017 - If type 2 diabetes is part of your life—whether you have the condition or are at risk of developing it—you’ve probably heard of a drug called metformin. Perhaps your doctor has told you about it, has recently started you on it or has been prescribing it to you for years to keep your blood sugar under control. It’s no newbie. Metformin has been available by prescription in the US for more than 20 years and in Europe for more than 40 years. US doctors write nearly 60 million…

June 2017 -- “Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms and the genitourinary syndrome of menopause and has been shown to prevent bone loss and fracture,” says Dr. JoAnn V. Pinkerton, NAMS Executive Director and Chair of the Position Statement Advisory Panel. “NAMS discovered through its review of the literature published since the 2012 Position Statement that its previous position that hormone therapy should be prescribed only for the ‘lowest dose for the…

An analysis of 17 past studies suggests that while breast-feeding for any period of time appears to lower a woman’s risk of endometrial cancer, mothers who breast-fed for the recommended six months lowered their risk even further. Surpassing the 6-9 month recommended timeframe for breast-feeding seemed to have little benefit, the researchers said, but those who had ever breast-fed their children were 11 percent less likely than women who had children but didn’t breast-feed to be diagnosed with…

This review summarizes how ERAAs can be used in combination with an estrogen or alone to treat menopausal symptoms (vasomotor symptoms, genitourinary syndrome of menopause), breast cancer or the risk of breast cancer, osteopenia, osteoporosis, and other female midlife concerns.Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. Release date: June 1, 2017 Heather D. Hirsch, MD, MS, NCMPAssistant Professor, Clinical Internal Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University,…

Dr. Holly L. Thacker discusses how to take control of your sensitive bladder with Dr. Mache Seibel in the latest issue of The Hot Years: My Menopause magazine. Dr. Mache: How common is sensitive bladder? Dr. Thacker: Up to one in three women has some of these problems during their lifetime. It's because the vagina is essentially a hole in the pelvic floor. Dr. Mache: It's probably a little to do with having babies, too. Dr. Thacker: Absolutely, it's affected by childbearing, childbirth,…

AHAH is a non-profit foundation dedicated to the health of women who have had a hysterectomy. In the USA, there are 8 million such women who are under age 60 with half of them age 45 or younger. On behalf of these women, we would urge the USPSTF not to suggest that estrogen therapy (ET) deserves a grade of D for disease prevention because the totality of recent data supports a higher grade.

April 2017 - Radius Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: RDUS), a science-driven fully integrated biopharmaceutical company that is committed to developing innovative therapeutics in the areas of osteoporosis, oncology and endocrine diseases, today announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved TYMLOS (abaloparatide) injection for the treatment of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis at high risk for fracture defined as history of osteoporotic fracture, multiple risk factors for…

If you would like more information about the VeLVET Study or if you are interested in participating, please call The Cleveland Clinic Department of Ob/Gyn and Women’s Health Institute research line, at 216-445-8090. What is the VeLVET Study? The VeLVET STUDY will compare the effects of vaginal laser therapy and vaginal estrogen therapy on the symptoms related to GSM and the condition of vaginal health. Vaginal estrogen (Premarin® cream, ESTRACE® cream or Vagifem® tablets) therapy has been…

April 2017 - Infants born to mothers who are vaccinated against the highly contagious and potentially fatal whooping cough are much less likely to get it than others, researchers said, in a large study published Monday. Whooping cough, which is caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria, is easily spread when an infected individual coughs or sneezes. About half of infants who contract the illness require hospitalization for complications like pneumonia or brain disorder, Reuters reported.

March 2017 - Hormone replacement therapy is associated with lower coronary artery calcium scores in postmenopausal women, and may also be linked to lower all-cause mortality, according to data presented in a poster at the annual meeting of the American College of Cardiology.

March 2017 -- A study published in the International Journal of Cancer suggests that the Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of estrogen-receptor-negative breast cancer, a postmenopausal form of the disease with a poor prognosis.

Urinary incontinence is common, underreported, and undertreated. Primary care physicians should be comfortable discussing urinary incontinence with their female patients and managing it with conservative treatment.ELIM SHIH, MDCenter for Specialized Women’s Health, Cleveland Clinic HEATHER HIRSCH, MDThe Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus HOLLY L. THACKER, MD, FACP, NCMP, CCDDirector, Center for Specialized Women’s Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland…

Study proves effectiveness of exercise in managing weight and hot flashes in postmenopausal women, even those who were previously sedentaryThe North American Menopause Society CLEVELAND, Ohio (February 15, 2017)—Talk to a woman in menopause and you’re likely to hear complaints about hot flashes and an inability to lose weight, especially belly fat. A new study shows how regular exercise can help reduce weight and control bothersome symptoms such as hot flashes, even in women who previously led…

For young women undergoing bilateral oophorectomy, estrogen therapy effectively controls symptoms, lessens risk of disease, and reduces mortality. This review discusses how disturbingly, many women go untreated due to inappropriate fears regarding estrogen use. List authored and from Fertility and Sterility, September 9, 2016. Sept 2016 - Bilateral oophorectomy performed in women before they are menopausal induces surgical primary ovarian insufficiency, an acute and chronic deficiency of…

Women with primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) have ovarian hormone deficiency and associated increased morbidity. This review discusses hormone replacement therapy options to improve the quality of life for women with POI. List authored and from Fertility and Sterility, September 27, 2016. Sept 2016 - Primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) is a rare but important cause of ovarian hormone deficiency and infertility in women. In addition to causing infertility, POI is associated with multiple…

January 23, 2017 - The risk of dying from cervical cancer might be much higher than experts previously thought, and women are encouraged to continue recommended cancer screenings. Black women are dying from cervical cancer at a rate 77% higher than previously thought and white women are dying at a rate 47% higher, according to a new study that published in the journal Cancer on Monday. The study found that previous estimates of cervical cancer death rates didn't account for women who had…

December 2016 - Age-related decline in women's lung function may speed up during and after menopause, a recent study suggests. Past research has shown that young women can boost their lung function through their mid-twenties by following a healthy lifestyle that includes getting plenty of aerobic exercise and avoiding cigarettes. After that, lung function declines gradually, and the process can be sped up when people smoke or carry excess fat around their midsection.

November 2016 -- The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved prasterone (Intrarosa, Endoceutics Inc) to treat women with moderate to severe pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia) associated with menopause. Prasterone, a once-daily vaginal insert, is the first FDA-approved product containing the active ingredient prasterone, also known as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Estrogen levels decline in vaginal tissues during menopause, which may lead to vulvar and vaginal atrophy…

Do you know the feeling of being a little flush in the face or hot under the collar? If you're an older woman, the memory alone may make you feel uncomfortable -- and hot. But hope may be on the horizon. For more than 70% of women, this feeling becomes a regular occurrence during one particular time of their lives: menopause, when their periods stop and they are no longer able to bear children. Yet despite its commonality, very little is known about why hot flashes occur and why some women are…

Menopause before the age of 45 is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease and death, a review of studies has found. The average age at onset of menopause is 51, but some women start much earlier. Premature menopause is defined as onset before age 40, while early-onset menopause occurs before the age of 45.