Climacteric Commentaries
July 2011
in “
Climacteric
”
TLDR Long-term estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women can improve certain health markers, hair loss is common regardless of hormone use, stopping estrogen doesn't increase breast cancer risk, smoking does, and a balanced BMI is linked to lower mortality.
The document from 2011 summarizes several studies on postmenopausal women's health. A study involving 1044 women found that long-term estrogen therapy was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, body mass index, and serum creatinine levels, but after 10 years, only the albumin/creatinine ratio remained significantly lower. Another study on 758 postmenopausal women reported 41% experienced hair loss, with no significant difference between hormone users and non-users, and 49% reported facial hair gain. The Women's Health Initiative showed no increased breast cancer risk after stopping estrogen therapy in 7,645 women, and even a reduced risk for those aged 50-59. The Nurses' Health Study and the Women's Health Initiative observational study linked smoking to an increased breast cancer risk. Additionally, a study on vaginal health in breast cancer survivors found improvements using a pH-balanced gel, and a review connected obesity with various health conditions. The document also discusses the controversial relationship between BMI and mortality, suggesting a U-shaped curve with the lowest mortality at a BMI of 25-27 kg/m² for older women.
