HRT for Menopause Helps Quality of Life
HRT for Menopause Helps Quality of Life
Poll: HRT Helps Quality of Life
Oct. 2, 2002 --"Hormones do enhance quality of life," says Wulf Utian, MD, PhD, executive director of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), which commissioned the survey.
"In fact, hormones help women maintain a level of quality of life that's the same as women who do not have symptoms," Utian tells WebMD. He is also a reproductive endocrinologist and professor emeritus at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.
The survey results were presented at the 13th annual meeting of the NAMS held this week in Chicago.
It's more grist for the mill as women sort through the many studies released lately -- pro and con HRT. The Gallup survey found that women are well aware and concerned about the risks found in other studies.
Gallup's telephone survey involved 600 women across the country between ages 50 and 64, all postmenopausal for at least one year. Of those women, 37% were taking HRT. Some had been taking it for more than 15 years, some for just 6 months.
To measure women's quality of life, the surveyors asked women about their overall health, emotional well-being, sexual function and interest, loss of sleep, and their feelings about their work. The questions also assessed women's physical symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
Women taking HRT had better quality of life in all areas, with 35% moderately satisfied and 51% reporting being "very satisfied." Hot flashes emerged as the most important factor, says Utian. "Those without hot flashes reported significantly better quality of life whether they took HRT or not."
The survey also captured women's attention to the HRT issue.
While Gallup was still making calls and compiling data, the early results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study were announced this past July. The news that one arm of the WHI study was being terminated affected women's perceptions of HRT, Gallup researchers found.
Women were asked if they were aware of the news and if it had any effect on their quality of life.
"An overwhelming portion of women had heard about the WHI study," Utian says. Also, "for many women taking HRT, their sense of optimism and well-being dropped. It's the anxiety [that kind of news] creates. You find that something you are taking may be bad for you."
HRT Helps Quality of Life
Poll: HRT Helps Quality of Life
Oct. 2, 2002 --"Hormones do enhance quality of life," says Wulf Utian, MD, PhD, executive director of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), which commissioned the survey.
"In fact, hormones help women maintain a level of quality of life that's the same as women who do not have symptoms," Utian tells WebMD. He is also a reproductive endocrinologist and professor emeritus at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland.
The survey results were presented at the 13th annual meeting of the NAMS held this week in Chicago.
It's more grist for the mill as women sort through the many studies released lately -- pro and con HRT. The Gallup survey found that women are well aware and concerned about the risks found in other studies.
Gallup's telephone survey involved 600 women across the country between ages 50 and 64, all postmenopausal for at least one year. Of those women, 37% were taking HRT. Some had been taking it for more than 15 years, some for just 6 months.
To measure women's quality of life, the surveyors asked women about their overall health, emotional well-being, sexual function and interest, loss of sleep, and their feelings about their work. The questions also assessed women's physical symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness.
Women taking HRT had better quality of life in all areas, with 35% moderately satisfied and 51% reporting being "very satisfied." Hot flashes emerged as the most important factor, says Utian. "Those without hot flashes reported significantly better quality of life whether they took HRT or not."
The survey also captured women's attention to the HRT issue.
While Gallup was still making calls and compiling data, the early results of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study were announced this past July. The news that one arm of the WHI study was being terminated affected women's perceptions of HRT, Gallup researchers found.
Women were asked if they were aware of the news and if it had any effect on their quality of life.
"An overwhelming portion of women had heard about the WHI study," Utian says. Also, "for many women taking HRT, their sense of optimism and well-being dropped. It's the anxiety [that kind of news] creates. You find that something you are taking may be bad for you."
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