Hormone Therapy

A recent meta-analysis of nearly 60 epidemiologic studies suggests that women who initiated systemic hormone therapy around the time of menopause were at greater risk for invasive breast cancer than similar never-users, with some excess risk persisting more than a decade after stopping therapy. The analysis, which evaluated findings from large observational studies, also suggests that increased risk for breast cancer doubles for women who used hormone therapy for 10 years vs. 5 years.

Women who initiated systemic hormone therapy around the time of menopause were at greater risk for invasive breast cancer than similar never-users, according to an analysis of nearly 60 epidemiologic studies published in The Lancet.

Adults with bilateral pheochromocytomas treated with cortical-sparing adrenalectomy were less likely to need steroid replacement therapy and had a low risk for tumor recurrence over 8 years when compared with similar patients who underwent total bilateral adrenalectomy, according to a retrospective database analysis published in JAMA Network Open.

Adults with chronic hypoparathyroidism treated with recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1-84 for 5 years experienced sustained improvements in mineral homeostasis and modest increases in bone turnover markers, whereas serum calcium remained in the target range with reductions in oral calcium supplements, according to findings from a small, open-label extension study.

Among the top stories in cardiology last week were top-line results from the PARAGON-HF trial which showed that the trial narrowly missed statistical significance for the primary endpoint in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction who were treated with sacubitril/valsartan and data that suggested patients who chronically used methamphetamine had maladaptive cardiac fibrotic remodeling which may be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.

Transdermal estradiol was an effective add-on treatment for women with schizophrenia, particularly those aged older than 38 years, findings published in JAMA Psychiatry showed.

Epicardial adipose tissue accumulation may slow down in women who were recently menopausal and were taking oral conjugated equine estrogens, according to a secondary analysis of the KEEPS trial published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

PHILADELPHIA — Compared with postmenopausal women using FDA-approved hormone therapy, those treated with estradiol and/or testosterone pellet therapy experienced six times the number adverse side effects, including abnormal uterine bleeding and subsequent hysterectomy, according to findings from a retrospective cohort study.

Menopause typically brings with it a host of symptoms that can be unpleasant, at best, and at worst, can increase the risks for heart disease and early death. For women who go through early menopause those symptoms and health risks can be compounded, whether the transition is natural or due to surgery.