The Menopausal Woman’s Plight:
Patient: “Doctor, I’m miserable! I’m having hot flashes and night sweats, I’ve gained 30 pounds that won’t budge, I’m depressed, and I don’t want to have sex with my husband.”
Doctor: “Well, your lab results are normal. You’re just getting older.”
Patient: “I need help. I’m already exercising and eating well. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to feel better.”
Doctor: “Well…I can give you an anti-depressant that may help with your hot flashes and depression, but it can also cause weight gain. I can’t give you any hormone replacement because it causes breast cancer and other health problems. Perhaps if you just have sex more often, your sex drive will get better.”
This true patient account highlights the ongoing plight of menopausal women in America….
They are being held hostage…trapped in bodies they can’t escape from and often can’t control…and the key to their release, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), is purposely being withheld from them because of a 15 year lie....
Sadly, their pleas for help fall upon the deaf ears of doctors unwilling to look beyond the results of outdated and flawed scientific research.
The Scope of the Crisis
Women don’t go through menopause…it’s their permanent hormonal destiny. 51 million American women are in menopause, and 2 million more enter menopause each year.
A hundred years ago, menopause didn’t matter because women often died before or shortly after entering menopause. Now, women’s average life expectancy is 88 years which means they’ll spend approximately one-third of their lives (around 30 years) in menopause.
Why does it matter? Shouldn’t a woman who’s lived through approximately 456 periods be able to handle a few hot flashes and some vaginal dryness? There’s more to the story….
The Cost of Not Negotiating
Many people don’t realize menopause can cause problems much more dangerous than annoying physical symptoms…
…It can cause permanent diseases which rob a woman of more than just her sleep, sex drive, and sanity...and rob her of her life.
Here are some facts:
· Heart disease is the number one killer of women. The American Heart Association acknowledges the loss of natural estrogen as women age can contribute to the higher risk of heart disease after menopause.
· Two-thirds of patients with Alzheimer’s disease are women, many of whom are in menopause on no HRT.
· Research has shown the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes increases with menopause, and the Mayo Clinic states, “Menopause can wreak havoc on your diabetes control.”
These and other health consequences also carry a hefty price tag. Numerous studies have confirmed the socioeconomic costs of menopause dwarf the cost of proactively treating it.
How the Hostage Crisis Began
Before 2002, HRT was accepted as the scientifically sound, first line treatment for menopause. Then…
In 2002, the Women’s Health Initiative trial results were released, and mass hysteria ensued.
The study of 160,000 women on HRT concluded HRT was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other health problems.
Women immediately stopped using HRT, and doctors immediately stopped prescribing it…based on just this one study (remember, HRT had been used for nearly 40 years before this study was published).
Interestingly, the hormones used in study subjects were Premarin and Prempro, both of which are derived hormones in horse urine. Moreover, the study was funded by the pharmaceutical companies who manufactured these hormones. Coincidence?
The Rest of the Story
The WHI study was flawed…findings revealed by a 2017 peer review of the study’s scientific method.
Re-examination of the evidence found women on HRT had better quality of lives, more sexual satisfaction, and no vasomotor symptoms. Additionally, they had less osteoporosis, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease.
Extensive research both prior and subsequent to the WHI study also found HRT to be safe and effective for controlling menopausal symptoms and preventing menopause related diseases.
It’s Time to End This Hostage Crisis
We knew the truth about the safety of HRT decades before 2002…and the 15-year lie about the dangers of HRT was exposed in 2017….
So, why do doctors continue to fuel the menopause hostage crisis by withholding HRT? If hormones really caused cancer, we’d all be getting cancer in our 20’s when our hormones are raging.
It’s time for doctors to face the facts about HRT. Menopausal women have a choice, and they can take an active role in determining the fate of their health by having educated, candid discussions with their doctors about HRT…their lives depend on it.
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