Hormones and Endocrine Disorders

Biography

Biography: Mache Seibel

Abstract

For nearly two decades, estrogen has been perceived as a source of symptom relief for menopause and causing an increased risk of breast cancer, dementia and heart disease. As a result, use of estrogen has declined to low levels and many doctors choose not to prescribe it. That left nearly a generation of menopausal women without treatment and as a result, created a negative effect on their health, their relationships and their work. However, new analysis of the existing information and a body of new work have shown that estrogen not only improves the symptoms of menopause but has the potential to reduce the risk of heart disease, dementia and breast cancer – if it is taken in the estrogen window. It can also improve women's quality of life and performance in the workplace. Once the estrogen window has closed, symptom relief is diminished and hormone therapy may increase the risk of breast cancer, dementia and heart disease. This presentation will define the estrogen window. It will reveal the background for how we got into this confused state, the impact not taking estrogen has had on women's lives, when estrogen should be taken to optimize benefits and lower risks, the differences in risk and benefit between estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestogen and how to minimize those risks, and when to stop estrogen. At the end of the presentation, the audience will have a clear, current and evidence based understanding of hormone therapy for the care of menopausal women.