Menopause Health Article

Anti-estrogens

A new type of hormone therapy offers some of the same protection against heart disease and bone loss as estrogen, but without the increased risk of breast cancer. This new class of drugs are known as anti-estrogens. The best known of these anti-estrogens is raloxifene, which mimics the effects of estrogen in the bones and blood, but blocks some of its negative effects elsewhere. It's called an anti-estrogen because for a long time these drugs had been used to counter the harmful effects of estrogen that caused breast cancer. Oddly enough, in other parts of the body these drugs mimic estrogen, protecting against heart disease and osteoporosis without putting a woman at risk for breast cancer.

Like estrogen, raloxifene works by attaching to an estrogen "receptor," much like a key fits into a lock. When raloxifene clicks into the estrogen receptors in the breast and uterus, it blocks estrogen at these sites. This is the secret of its cancer-fighting property. Many tumors in the breast are fueled by estrogen; if the estrogen cannot get in the cell, then the cancer stops growing.

Women may prefer to take raloxifene instead of hormone replacement because the new drug doesn't boost the breast cancer risk and doesn't have side effects like uterine bleeding, bloating, or breast soreness. Unfortunately, the drug may worsen hot flashes. Raloxifene is basically a treatment to prevent osteoporosis. It doesn't help with common symptoms and it is unclear if it has the same protective effect against heart disease as estrogen does.

Testosterone replacement

The ovaries also produce a small amount of male hormones, which decreases slightly as a woman enters menopause. The vast majority of women never need testosterone replacement, but it can be important if a woman has declining interest in sex. Testosterone can improve the libido, and decrease anxiety and depression; adding testosterone especially helps women who have had hysterectomies. Testosterone also eases breast tenderness and helps prevent bone loss. However, testosterone does have side effects. Some women experience mild acne and some facial hair growth, but because only small amounts of testosterone are prescribed, most women don't appear to have extreme masculine changes.