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CNN Live Today

Doctors Warn of Hormone Therapy Risks for Women

Aired July 09, 2002 - 12:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: If you're a woman who relies on hormone replacements, a warning now from government scientists: The form of therapy that has been prescribed for you may be too risky.

CNN medical correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us with this -- a bit of a disturbing report.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is a disturbing report, because six million women take what's called the combined hormonal therapy for menopause. That's six million women in the United States alone.

And what this report says, bottom line, is that it may cause or it seems to be that this kind of combined therapy causes breast cancer, heart disease, blood clots and strokes in relatively small numbers. But it was enough of a risk that the National Institutes of Health, which was running this large, major study, said: "You know what? We have got to take women off this right now, or least we need to give them a choice."

Here are the results. The bottom line is that, for every 10,000 women taking this combined hormone therapy, in one year, there will be 31 additional cases of the following diseases: heart disease, breast cancer, strokes, and blood clots. In other words, compared to women taking a placebo, 10,000 women taking the hormones, there would be 31 additional cases of these illness.

So, then the question is, well, what do you do if you are one of these six million women who is on this combined therapy? The answer is, you need to talk to your doctor. If your menopause symptoms, the hot flashes, the night sweats, are terrible and are really hurting your ability to get through the day, then maybe you might decide it is worth the risk, because the numbers are still relatively small.

But if you are taking this therapy because you believe -- and there was reason for to you believe. There were scientific studies that showed in the past that this therapy might help prevent heart disease. And if you are taking it to help prevent heart disease, then you need to rethink that, because this new evidence says that it doesn't help heart disease at all. In fact, it seems to cause it.

So, the bottom line, talk to your doctor and continue to take this if you decide that it's worth the risk. And you really have make a decision if it's worth the risk. PHILLIPS: Well, what about just short term, just for maybe that first year, where you are getting those hot flashes and it's very uncomfortable, to get past that hump?

COHEN: Right.

It would be nice if the answer were: "Yes, you know what? Short term, take it." But, unfortunately, that's not the answer. This study shows that, in just the first year of taking this combined hormone replacement therapy, that women had a higher incidence of heart disease just in that one year.

PHILLIPS: Now, what about alternative remedies like herbal remedies, soy?

COHEN: There's a whole bunch out there. And the science is not 100 percent complete on these. They haven't all been studied as much as many people would like. But there is a lot of good evidence out there that getting lots of soy in your diet or taking soy supplements can help reduce those symptoms.

So, some women have decided: "You know what? Forget the drugs. I am just going to get a lot of soy in my diet or take a lot of soy supplements." There are also other herbs out there. Now, you have to be careful. Not every herb is safe. But you can talk to your doctor, again. There are lots of good sites on the Internet that give some advice. But soy seems to be the one with there's the most evidence that it does help reduce those symptoms, so maybe you don't have to go on the drugs.

PHILLIPS: I have friends that swear by it.

COHEN: Absolutely. A lot of people do. A lot of people do.

PHILLIPS: All right, Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much.

COHEN: Thank you.

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