Top in women's health: Youthful effects of hormone therapy, heavy substance use during menopause
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
A population-based, retrospective cohort study revealed that postmenopausal women with a history of hormone therapy use were biologically younger than those with no history of hormone therapy.
“We found that historical HT [use] was related to a slower biological aging pace, especially in postmenopausal women with disadvantaged socioeconomic status,” Chenglong Li, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Health Data Science at Peking University in Beijing, told Healio. “Moreover, we found the slower biological aging pace was more evident in postmenopausal women receiving hormone therapy after age 55 years or historically using HT for 4 to 8 years, supporting the hypothesis of appropriate timing [for] receiving HT.”
It was the top story in women’s health last week.
In another top story, researchers found an association between heavy alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use and higher vasomotor symptom frequency during menopause.
The analysis also revealed potential relationships among opioid use and mood and musculoskeletal symptoms.
Read these and more top stories in women’s health below:
Hormone therapy use may slow biological aging for postmenopausal women
Postmenopausal women with a history of hormone therapy use were biologically younger compared with counterparts who did not receive such treatment, regardless of socioeconomic background, according to study results published in JAMA Network Open. Read more.
Current, prior substance use tied to hot flashes, other bothersome menopause symptoms
Current and prior heavy use of substances, including alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and opioids, may be independently associated with vasomotor, mood or musculoskeletal symptoms experienced during menopause, researchers reported. Read more.
More evidence needed to support cannabis use for menopause symptoms
Despite lack of evidence, midlife women report using cannabis to manage symptoms overlapping with menopause, including insomnia, anxiety, mood and musculoskeletal pain, according to results of two studies. Read more.
At-home misoprostol administration during second trimester safe, reduces time in hospital
At-home first-dose misoprostol administration increased the proportion of women completing medical abortion after 12 weeks’ gestation through outpatient care with a favorable safety profile, according to findings published in The Lancet. Read more.
Diabetes triples odds of stillbirth, with greater risk for women with type 2
A review in Obstetrics & Gynecology detailed a potential relationship between preexisting diabetes and a more than tripled odds of experiencing stillbirth or perinatal mortality, with higher risks for mothers with type 2 vs. type 1 diabetes. Read more.