Experts link between taking menopausal hormones and longevity

In recent years, the world of science understands the connection between longevity and menopause. The understanding is that the female reproductive system is much more significant than making babies, since hormones are related to almost every cell and system in the body and to women’s health. The reference is mainly to the ovaries, which produce the estrogen hormone that is related to every aspect of women’s health – to cognition, bone health, the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The fact that the ovaries stop functioning in the middle of life accelerates the deterioration of other systems, including the heart, bone and brain. The hormonal fluctuations not only cause many and varied symptoms among women that characterize the menopause, but also an increased risk of diseases, including diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. and dementia.

“It is known that the most common cause of death among women in Israel is heart disease (mainly heart attack). About one in three women in Israel over the age of 50 will suffer from osteoporosis, “bone depletion,” explains Dr. Mai Yosef, an expert in gynecology and obstetrics, a consultant at the menopause clinic at Maccabi Health Services in Ra’anana and a member of the Menopause Association committee. “Estrogen is found in most systems of a woman’s body, hence a decrease in the hormone is expected to affect all systems in the body, including diseases such as: dementia, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular diseases and osteoporosis. In other words, the understanding today that women who are treated with hormones will not only improve the symptoms of menopause, but actually improve their quality of life, and the treatment may even prevent the development of future diseases.”

The famous study – and the damage it caused

In 2002, the results of the WHI study were published, a large-scale study conducted in the USA, which examined thousands of menopausal women, some of whom took hormonal therapy (estrogen only or in combination with progesterone) and some placebo. The study was stopped earlier than planned due to an increase in the risk of breast cancer and heart disease, in the estrogen-only group no increase in breast cancer was observed, but an increase in coagulation complications, especially thrombophlebitis, was noted. The findings caused a shake-up in the medical approach to hormone therapy, and led to a sharp decrease in its use and a deep fear among doctors and women alike – a fear that continues to this day.

However, in the years that have passed since the publication of the study, professionals have pointed out substantial limitations that caused the findings to be biased. Recently, the American Drug Administration (FDA) decided to remove the “black box”, (that is, the records in the consumer leaflet attached to the drugs) and this because for years they caused the theCancer scare from hormonal menopause drugs, a dramatic step that will affect the health of women all over the world.

The FDA commissioner, Dr. Marty Macri, said that after 23 years, “the FDA is stopping the fear machine that kept women away from life-saving treatment.” According to him, this is about correcting a historical injustice that resulted in millions of women not receiving treatment that was proven to be effective and safe. He also noted that his mother also paid a health price following the same false narrative.

The prevailing attitude among doctors today is that a woman has a window of opportunity for taking hormones and that their effect on the body’s systems is critical, no less than that. “The recommendation is to start consuming hormones when you are less than 60 years old and less than ten years in menopause, (that is, without a monthly cycle for about a year) and for many – even before the cessation of the menstrual cycle, and the earlier the hormonal treatment is given, the more effective it is,” explains Dr. May.

“New studies prove that the change in the composition of hormones and the window of opportunity did not cause an increase in breast cancer among women, but there was a decrease in heart disease, vascular disease and osteoporosis, and the connection to longevity,” he adds.

“The medical literature supports the fact that hormonal treatment is effective, as far as possible, and also in the long term, in improving the quality of life, improving sleep, mood, energy and daily functioning, and at the same time in preventing the diseases mentioned. And this is where the question arises – should a woman who does not suffer from menopause symptoms be treated with hormones?. As of today, there is no such blanket recommendation. The reference is to each individual case. For example, a woman suffering from impotence “Primary of the ovary that manifests itself in the cessation of menstruation before the age of 40, or women with early menopause, it is recommended to treat with hormones at least until the age of 51, and then re-discuss the continuation of the treatment individually.”

“I recommend contacting a gynecologist and family doctor for consultation in any situation of change in daily functioning, or with the appearance of symptoms that can be mental or physical, even when the menstrual cycle is regular or with changes in the cycle. It should always be remembered that the decision on hormonal treatment will be made individually in collaboration with the woman, according to the symptoms, the medical condition, family history.”