Study Shows Menopause Symptoms Last For At Least 7 Years

Dr. Enrique Jacome

Hot flashes and night sweats affect up to 75% of women in the US who are going through menopause. Though common, these symptoms can significantly impact a woman's quality of life. But how long do they last? According to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine, many women may experience these symptoms frequently for at least 7 years.

Collectively, hot flashes and night sweats are referred to as vasomotor symptoms (VMS). As well as making menopausal women feel uncomfortable, VMS can reduce energy levels, disturb sleep and affect social functioning and overall quality of life.

According to the research team, including Nancy E. Avis of the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, NC, there is a "lack of robust estimates" of how long women may experience VMS. 

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) say VMS can last between 6 months to 2 years, though they note that some studies suggest the symptoms can persist for 3-5 years, with some women experiencing them for 10 years or more.

For their study, Avis and colleagues set out to identify the average length of time women may experience frequent VMS during menopausal transition - defined as having hot flashes or night sweats over at least 6 days in the past 2 weeks. They also wanted to identify risk factors for longer VMS duration.

Premenopausal, perimenopausal women had longest VMS duration

The team assessed 1996-2013 data of 3,302 women who were part of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). Of these, 1,449 had frequent VMS during menopausal transition.

The researchers found that on average, total frequent VMS duration was 7.4 years. 

Women who were premenopausal (continuing to have normal menstrual cycles) or early perimenopausal (moving toward menopausal transition) at the first report of VMS experienced the longest duration of hot flashes and night sweats, with an average of at least 11.8 years.

The shortest total duration of VMS was found among women who were postmenopausal (had experienced their last menstrual cycle) at the time of VMS onset, with an average of 3.4 years.

On analyzing the data by racial/ethnic groups, the researchers found that African American women experienced the longest duration of VMS, with an average of 10.1 years, while Japanese and Chinese women had the shortest VMS duration, with an average of 4.8 years and 5.4 years, respectively.

Non-Hispanic white women had an average VMS duration of 6.5 years, while Hispanic women experienced VMS for an average of 8.9 years.

The researchers also found that at the first report of VMS, younger age, greater perceived stress, lower educational attainment, greater symptoms of depression and anxiety and greater sensitivity to VMS symptoms was associated with longer duration of VMS.

Commenting on the results, the team says:

"These findings can help health care professionals counsel patients about expectations regarding VMS and assist women in making treatment decisions based on the probability of their VMS persisting.

In addition, the median total VMS duration of 7.4 years highlights the limitations of guidance recommending short-term HT [hormone therapy] use and emphasizes the need to identify safe long-term therapies for the treatment of VMS."

In an editorial linked to the study, Dr. Gloria Richard-Davis, of the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences, and Dr. JoAnn E. Manson, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, MA, say the findings from Avis and colleagues are "highly informative" and pave the way for health care professionals to adopt a more personalized approach when it comes to counseling women about VMS.

"The good news is that women now have more options for managing VMS and more opportunities for shared decision making with their health care professionals," they add. "Continued research in this area holds promise for further advances that will guide future care of women experiencing VMS."

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BHRT For Parkinson’s Disease And Traumatic Brain Injury

Dr. Enrique Jacome

BHRT or Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy helps restore hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone to their required levels. The hormones are taken from plant sources to produce molecules which are identical to the hormones our body naturally makes. BHRT is a safe method and patients who undergo the treatment have reported feeling younger, more energetic and having decreased symptoms of menopause and andropause (male menopause) symptoms. The therapy is customized to an individual’s requirements and is highly effective in both men and women. Here are the benefits:

• Improved immune system
• Increased sex drive
• Balanced weight
• Improved skin condition
• Lower depression
• A new study also suggests that it helps in Parkinson disease and traumatic brain injury

Parkinson’s disease and BHRT:

Parkinson’s disease (PD) causes the failure and death of critical nerve cells in the brain that are called neurons. PD usually strikes the neurons in the brain area called the substantia nigra that produces dopamine. Dopamine is responsible for communicating with the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination in a human body. As PD advances, dopamine production decreases which leaves a person unable to control his movements like a normal human being. This also inhibits his ability to exercise or maintain his fitness.

However, with BHRT, PD patients have reported improvement in the following areas:

• Reduced progression of PD symptoms
• Reduced need for medicines
• An improvement in fitness
• An improvement in coordination
• Better mobility
• Reduction in tremors

These improvements are possible with BHRT as BHRT is able to increase the production of dopamine and decrease inflammation in the female brain and testosterone in the main brain. BHRT keeps hormones in balance and revives quality of life of PD patients. Balance of hormones means a steady flow of hormones in the blood stream that helps keep PD negative symptoms in check.

Also, BHRT is customized as per the needs of the individual patient. This customization to the precise needs of the patient’s body is the key to the success of pellet therapy. SottoPelle’s® patent pending dosing method BioCalc® allows for the treating physician to dose the pellet therapy to exactly what that patient’s body requires to regain balance.

Traumatic brain injury and BHRT:

Research suggests that traumatic brain injury affects around 1.7 million Americans per year and it can cause cognitive, emotional as well as physical deficits. Most therapies do not provide significant improvements or recovery and the chronic symptoms continue to be a part of life of the patients forever. It has been found that brain trauma causes deficiencies in some types of hormones. When this deficiency in hormones is restored, a significant improvement is seen in patients that suffer from traumatic brain injury.

BHRT are plant-based hormones that match the exact molecular structure, as well as functionality of the human hormones. Hence, BHRT bind and communicate properly to the human body receptors and hence, extend vital support to organs, tissues and cells in the human body. If prescribed properly, BHRT can benefit traumatic brain injury as well as menopause, weight gain, and even osteoporosis. Again, BHRT are customized personally and have virtually no side effects. Exact dosage needs of a patient are uncovered by a series of blood tests.

BHRT needs to be researched upon even more to aid people in their illnesses and improved further to provide an even better outcome for patients’ suffering from PD, traumatic brain injury, etc.

If you need more information about this topic or SottoPelle Therapy, please contact us today!

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Getting To The Heart Of Menopause

Dr. Enrique Jacome

As we age, our risks for various medical issues rises. During menopause certain risks can increase for women when it comes to cardiac health and disease. As with anything else, some of it’s the old “nature versus nurture” scenario. Bad habits that you have nurtured through the years (poor diet, lack of exercise, smoking, excessive alcohol, and other known risks) can take their toll. Some families have a history or are at a heightened risk of cardiac problems. Menopause itself does not cause cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Nieca Goldberg, a cardiologist and an American Heart Association volunteer states.“Menopause isn’t a disease. It’s a natural phase of a woman’s life cycle,” Dr. Goldberg said. “It’s important for women, as they approach menopause, to really take stock of their health.”

Per the American Heart Association about 35,000 under the age of 50 will have a heart attack each year. Heart disease is the leading killer of women. It is suggested that there is a connection between the estrogen and the decline during menopause and the health of the heart and blood flow. Other contributing bodily changes happen during menopause which put your heart at risk:

• Increase in blood pressure
• Bad cholesterol goes up and the good cholesterol goes down
• Certain types of fats called triglycerides in the blood increase

How can women deal with the changes and protect themselves from heart disease during menopause?

• Reduce or eliminate bad health habits.
• Eat well – fresh fruit is highly recommended
• Exercise – aerobics or activities that are low resistance
• Check your hormonal levels

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