Like a Heatwave, Burning in My Heart
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It appears that hot flashes affect more than quality of life.
Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh report that hot flashes might actually damage the blood vessesls and increase the risk for atherosclerosis, a form of heart disease characterized by hardening of the arteries.
Study partciipants included 492 women, ages 45 to 58 years, who were participating in the community-based Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation.
The findings, which were published in the eary online edition of the journal Circulation, show a significant increase in calcium deposits and buildup (i.e. calcification) in the greater coronary artery and aorta in women with hot flashes. In fact, these women were 1.5 times likely to develop calcification than women not experiencing hot flashes.
The researchers report that hot flashes may indicate underlying adverse vascular changes in women.
So what can you do? Because hot flashes may be signs of subclinical or underlying changes in blood vessels that can lead to heart disease, shutting them down is not enough.
Rather, lifestyle changes that promote heart health, such as a healthy diet, regular exercise, weight maintenance or reduction, quitting smoking and moderate alcohol use, seem like smart choices.
In fact, research confirms that lifestyle interventions that include healthy eating and regular exercise can confer protection against and slow different forms of heart disease, including atherosclerosis, if started during perimenipause.
Read MoreSoy! Oh Boy!
It’s Wednesday, meaning that it’s time for me to debunk a popular myth about menopause or provide you with a bit of inspiration for hump day.
Tongues have been wagging a lot about soy isoflavones (plant-based compounds with estrogen-like properties) with the most disturbing reports linking high doses to genetic damage and stimulation of estrogen receptors to promote breast cancer.
So, do you need to be worried if your current menopause diet includes lots of soy? (You can read more about the potential benefits of soy here.) Evidently, the answer is NO!
According to a newly published study in the Menopause Journal, unconjugated forms of soy isoflavones are safe and well tolerated at daily doses as high as 900 mg/day. (Unconjugated forms are more readily absorbed into the bloodstream.)
In this study, researchers administered soy isoflavones or placebo to 30 postmenopausal women for 84 days. The goals of the study were to measure DNA damage, cell death and any changes that would indicate that estrogen was stimulated (which might lead to tumor growth). The researchers found no indication that high (900 mg) daily doses of soy caused DNA damage, increased cell death or affected estrogen. What’s more, any side effects (ocurring in only 1 woman) were mild or moderate in severity.
Granted, the study population is quite small and more data are needed to confirm these findings. Neverthless, the researchers do conclude that despite the considerable debate over the negative, estrogen-related effects of soy isoflavones, findings suggest only minimal effects.
If you are currently using soy isoflavones as a strategy to combat vasomotors symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats, eat with ease. It appears that you are not increasing your breast cancer risk. Nevertheless, as my grandmother used to say “everything in moderation.”
Happy News for Wednesday!
[Cross-posted at EmpowHer.com]
Read MoreThat Old Black Magic
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Remember black cohosh? That wonderful herb in the buttercup family of plants that is commonly used to address hot flashes, mood swings, night sweats and other vasomotor symptoms? Black cohosh has been used in traditional folk medicine for centuries and was introduced to the settlers by Native American Indians, who incorporated the herb into their traditional medicines for women’s ailments.
I’ve discussed the utility of black cohosh for sleep and other disturbances in a previous post.
Personally, I’ve been using a standardized black cohosh formulation in combination with some Chinese herbs, (as recommended by acupuncturist and Chinese medicine specialist Elaine Stern) with great success for many months now. Hence, I am a huge fan. And in my book it is that ‘old black magic.” Still, I believe that it’s important to address warnings that link black cohosh to liver damage. Here’s what you need to know:
Based on recent statements that have been recently issued in Australia and the United Kingdom, The U.S. Pharmacopeia’s Council of Experts extensively analyzed data from 30 case reports, side effects reports and other sources to evaluate the association between black cohosh and liver damage. They concluded that there was enough evidence from case reports to suggest a possible link and proposed that a cautionary statement be included on manufacturer labeling.
So, what’s the bottom line? Overall, there are been few reports of liver damage but they have provoked enough concern to raise a red flag amongst several regulatory agencies worldwide. Here, the U.S, the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements says that millions of people have safely used black cohosh without any apparent negative health effects.
As always, if you choose to go the herbal route, speak to an health professional who is well-versed in herbal medicine first. Try to select standardized formulation (it usually says it right on the label), which can help to insure that optimal and safe manufacturing processes have been followed and that you’re getting a pure form of the herb. Finally, be aware of potential side effects. In addition to liver damage, black cohosh has been linked with headache, dizziness, visual disturbance, constipation and intestinal discomfort, mostly at higher than recommended doses. Finally, remember that herbal medicine is medicine, and like Western preparations, requires vigilence, common sense, and can result in adverse effects if not used correctly.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble
I’m starting a new feature on Flashfree called the Wednesday Bubble. Every Wednesday, I plan to shed light on a popular misconception about a menopausal treatment or symptom, discuss research that proves or disproves a theory or simply highlight an important thought for hump day.
Onto today’s bubble!
In a recent post, I posted evidence debunking the beneficial effects of HRT with regard to pain during intercourse. Now, a Chinese herbal preparation has been shown to be ineffective.
Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong have confirmed that the Chinese medicine herbal preparation, Dang Gui Buxue Tang (which contains the herbs Dang Gui and Huang Qi), has little effect on menopausal vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats.
Chinese herbal medicines containing Dang Gui and Huang Qi are commonly used in China for menopausal symptoms. Neither preparation has undergone rigorous Western testing for efficacy or safety.
Over a 6-month period, 100 women with acute menopausal symptoms took either Dang Gui Buxue Tang or placebo. The researchers found no difference in the frequency of mild, moderate or severe hot flashes between the study groups. In fact, Dang Gui Buxue Tang was found to be superior to placebo only for mild hot flashes. The researchers concluded that while Dang Gui Buxue Tang may be perceived as being beneficial for treating vasomotor symptoms, it is actually no better than placebo.
The placebo effect has been studied far and wide. Recently, it was attributed to the brain’s expectation of a future reward, meaning that if you think it, it will be. The findings of this particular study were interesting because the researchers actually expected these results. Keep in mind, however, that there are plenty of Chinese herbal medicine preparations that proving to be useful for menopausal symptoms. The most important consideration is that if you are considering using Chinese herbal medicine, consider the source. This means that you should consult a licensed practitioner and be sure any preparation you use is targeted for you and not simply purchased off the shelf or online without some sort of directive.
I want to hear from you. Let me know how you feel about the Wednesday Bubble. And if you have an idea for one, be sure to email me and let me know!
Read MoreTake Control
I’ve posted several times about the pending Life Quality Technologies’ device to stop hot flashes in their tracks. I strongly believe that this “alternative alternative” to HRT and even herbal medicines could revolutionize the way that women address menopausal vasomotor symptoms. But folks with the wallets may need some convincing.
If you are experiencing hot flashes and are interested in seeing this type of product on the market, I would like to ask you to take a brief survey. No email addresses or other information will be collected and the survey should take any longer than a minute or so of your time.
Here’s the link.
Don’t you think it’s time to start taking control of our bodies and our health?
Read MoreHot hot hot!
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Yes, it’s been too darn hot in Maryland and DC of late. But looks like things are really starting to heat up for women in menopause who suffer hot flashes.
Researchers say that vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes tend to last for at least four years after a woman’s final menstrual period. FOUR YEARS!
Evidently, a review of 10 studies evaluating over 35,000 women shows that overall, symptoms increase in the two years before menopause, peak approximately one year after the final period, and then return to normal levels in about either years after the final menstrual period. However, at least half of the women who participated in these studies reported a peak in symptoms around four years after their final period.
Life Quality Technologies’ new device to address this problem can’t come soon enough. Curious what I’m talking about? Check out this previous post.
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