First of its kind 'menopause map' helps women navigate treatment

Public release date: 1-May-2012
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Contact: Aaron Lohr
alohr@endo-society.org
240-482-1380

Dionne Dougall-Bass
dionne@burnesscommunications.com
301-961-5803
Burness Communications

Nationwide Poll found 7 out of 10 women suffering from menopausal symptoms are not treated; Majority not talking to their doctors about various relief options

May 1, 2012 (Chevy Chase, MD) Women going through menopause now have a first-of-its-kind interactive guide to help them better understand their menu of treatment options, including whether hormone therapy may be right for them. The Endocrine Society and its Hormone Health Network today released the "Menopause Map," an online tool to help women and their doctors discuss which hormonal and non-hormonal treatment options would be most effective and safe to relieve the sometimes debilitating symptoms of menopause. A new accompanying survey found that the majority of women facing challenging symptoms are concerned about hormone treatment and are not discussing it, or other non-hormonal options, with their doctor. The Map was developed by Endocrine Society physician experts who specialize in menopause management.

The tool is based on the latest unbiased research and is intended to jumpstart conversations between women and their doctors about the choices available to them as they approach and experience menopause.

Hormone therapy has been under intense scrutiny since 2002, when a large government study called the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) reported that hormone therapyspecifically the combination of estrogen and progestin togetherincreased the risk for blood clots, stroke, breast cancer and heart attacks. The researchers halted the study and concluded that the risks of hormone therapy outweighed the benefits. Although the study was designed to evaluate the role of hormone therapy in the prevention of diseases related to aging, many women and their doctors also abandoned it as therapy for menopausal symptoms.

Over the past 10 years, additional research has found that the level of risk depends on the individual woman, her health history, age, and the number of years since her menopause began. In general, younger women (under 60) who have recently started menopause are at a lower risk than older women when taking low doses of hormone therapy.

"Left with the false impression that hormone therapy isn't a safe option, far too many women have suffered in silence thinking their options for symptom relief were limited or non-existent," says Cynthia Stuenkel, MD, a member of The Endocrine Society and an endocrinologist specializing in menopause at the University of California, San Diego. "We know that for some women, hormonal therapy provides the only relief for severe menopausal symptoms. Women deserve some clear answers and helpful tools to engage their doctors in meaningful conversations about the multiple choices available to improve their menopausal symptoms."

When a woman enters menopause, she stops menstruating and her body produces less of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. The process of menopause takes years. During that time, women may experience moderate to severe symptoms, including hot flashes, interrupted sleep, vaginal dryness, and other symptoms that affect her quality of life.

The survey found that 72 percent of women currently experiencing symptoms have not received any treatment for them. Other findings include:

• Majorities of menopausal women experiencing symptoms have not talked to their primary health care provider or OB/GYN about hormone therapy (62%) or non-hormone options (61%), and half of them have not talked about lifestyle changes;
• Nearly half (49%) of menopausal women experiencing symptoms have a negative impression of hormone therapy; and
• While the sample sizes of African Americans and Latinas in the survey are small, only 17 percent of African-American respondents say they have talked to their doctors about hormone therapy, compared to 39 percent of white women and 35 percent of Latinas, suggesting that disparities may exist.

"Unfortunately, as in many health care issues, significant disparities exist. Add to that, many primary care doctors don't have enough information about the latest research or what to prescribe," Dr. Stuenkel says. "We want to make health care providers across the nation aware of this tool so that they can facilitate better discussions with their patients."

The "Menopause Map" is an online interactive tool that guides a woman through the different options available to get relief from her symptoms through a series of prompting questions about those symptoms and her personal health history. The Map also has links to questionnaires that help assess current risk for breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The tool weighs hormonal and non-hormonal therapies against the risks based on individual symptoms and medical history.

The Map was not designed to be a self-diagnostic tool. It's recommended that women print out their results along with a list of provided questions to discuss the best treatment options for them with their provider. Women should revisit this tool to check their symptoms and have a continuous, informed dialogue with their provider.

The important facts to know about hormone therapy are:

• Women 60 years and older should not use menopausal hormone therapy.
• Women 50-59 years or younger, with no family or personal history of breast cancer, no history of heart disease or stroke, and with moderate to severe menopausal symptoms are the best candidates for hormone therapy.
• If considering hormone therapy, women should talk with their health care provider to determine a plan that is right for them.
• In addition, lifestyle approach also helps alleviate symptoms and benefit long-term health.
• For those who decide on hormone therapy, this is an ongoing process and might require a period of trial and error to find the right fit for each individual woman.
• For those who decide on non-hormonal options, there are several proven therapies available that may help with symptoms. It is important women share information about all medications they are using, including over-the-counter drugs and nutritional supplements, to make sure the choice of therapy doesn't interact with other medications.

###

The Menopause Map can be found at www.hormone.org/MenopauseMap.

About the Survey: The Endocrine Society commissioned Lake Research Partners to conduct a nationally representative survey of 810 women ages 45-60 years old, April 13 -17, 2012. The margin of sampling error is + 4.3 percentage points.

Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 15,000 physicians, scientists, educators, nurses and students in more than 100 countries. Society members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, MD. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.

The Hormone Health Network works to join Endocrine Society physicians, primary care providers, patients and the public in meaningful, informed discussions about hormones and health. The Network offers patients and their providers free, on-line resources that are based on the Society's most advanced clinical and scientific knowledge of endocrine-related diseases and conditions. Join the Hormone Health Network today by visiting www.hormone.org and subscribing to Hormone Hotline, our monthly e-update on hormones and health.

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 1-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Aaron Lohr
alohr@endo-society.org
240-482-1380

Dionne Dougall-Bass
dionne@burnesscommunications.com
301-961-5803
Burness Communications

Nationwide Poll found 7 out of 10 women suffering from menopausal symptoms are not treated; Majority not talking to their doctors about various relief options

May 1, 2012 (Chevy Chase, MD) Women going through menopause now have a first-of-its-kind interactive guide to help them better understand their menu of treatment options, including whether hormone therapy may be right for them. The Endocrine Society and its Hormone Health Network today released the "Menopause Map," an online tool to help women and their doctors discuss which hormonal and non-hormonal treatment options would be most effective and safe to relieve the sometimes debilitating symptoms of menopause. A new accompanying survey found that the majority of women facing challenging symptoms are concerned about hormone treatment and are not discussing it, or other non-hormonal options, with their doctor. The Map was developed by Endocrine Society physician experts who specialize in menopause management.

The tool is based on the latest unbiased research and is intended to jumpstart conversations between women and their doctors about the choices available to them as they approach and experience menopause.

Hormone therapy has been under intense scrutiny since 2002, when a large government study called the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) reported that hormone therapyspecifically the combination of estrogen and progestin togetherincreased the risk for blood clots, stroke, breast cancer and heart attacks. The researchers halted the study and concluded that the risks of hormone therapy outweighed the benefits. Although the study was designed to evaluate the role of hormone therapy in the prevention of diseases related to aging, many women and their doctors also abandoned it as therapy for menopausal symptoms.

Over the past 10 years, additional research has found that the level of risk depends on the individual woman, her health history, age, and the number of years since her menopause began. In general, younger women (under 60) who have recently started menopause are at a lower risk than older women when taking low doses of hormone therapy.

"Left with the false impression that hormone therapy isn't a safe option, far too many women have suffered in silence thinking their options for symptom relief were limited or non-existent," says Cynthia Stuenkel, MD, a member of The Endocrine Society and an endocrinologist specializing in menopause at the University of California, San Diego. "We know that for some women, hormonal therapy provides the only relief for severe menopausal symptoms. Women deserve some clear answers and helpful tools to engage their doctors in meaningful conversations about the multiple choices available to improve their menopausal symptoms."

When a woman enters menopause, she stops menstruating and her body produces less of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. The process of menopause takes years. During that time, women may experience moderate to severe symptoms, including hot flashes, interrupted sleep, vaginal dryness, and other symptoms that affect her quality of life.

The survey found that 72 percent of women currently experiencing symptoms have not received any treatment for them. Other findings include:

• Majorities of menopausal women experiencing symptoms have not talked to their primary health care provider or OB/GYN about hormone therapy (62%) or non-hormone options (61%), and half of them have not talked about lifestyle changes;
• Nearly half (49%) of menopausal women experiencing symptoms have a negative impression of hormone therapy; and
• While the sample sizes of African Americans and Latinas in the survey are small, only 17 percent of African-American respondents say they have talked to their doctors about hormone therapy, compared to 39 percent of white women and 35 percent of Latinas, suggesting that disparities may exist.

"Unfortunately, as in many health care issues, significant disparities exist. Add to that, many primary care doctors don't have enough information about the latest research or what to prescribe," Dr. Stuenkel says. "We want to make health care providers across the nation aware of this tool so that they can facilitate better discussions with their patients."

The "Menopause Map" is an online interactive tool that guides a woman through the different options available to get relief from her symptoms through a series of prompting questions about those symptoms and her personal health history. The Map also has links to questionnaires that help assess current risk for breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The tool weighs hormonal and non-hormonal therapies against the risks based on individual symptoms and medical history.

The Map was not designed to be a self-diagnostic tool. It's recommended that women print out their results along with a list of provided questions to discuss the best treatment options for them with their provider. Women should revisit this tool to check their symptoms and have a continuous, informed dialogue with their provider.

The important facts to know about hormone therapy are:

• Women 60 years and older should not use menopausal hormone therapy.
• Women 50-59 years or younger, with no family or personal history of breast cancer, no history of heart disease or stroke, and with moderate to severe menopausal symptoms are the best candidates for hormone therapy.
• If considering hormone therapy, women should talk with their health care provider to determine a plan that is right for them.
• In addition, lifestyle approach also helps alleviate symptoms and benefit long-term health.
• For those who decide on hormone therapy, this is an ongoing process and might require a period of trial and error to find the right fit for each individual woman.
• For those who decide on non-hormonal options, there are several proven therapies available that may help with symptoms. It is important women share information about all medications they are using, including over-the-counter drugs and nutritional supplements, to make sure the choice of therapy doesn't interact with other medications.

###

The Menopause Map can be found at www.hormone.org/MenopauseMap.

About the Survey: The Endocrine Society commissioned Lake Research Partners to conduct a nationally representative survey of 810 women ages 45-60 years old, April 13 -17, 2012. The margin of sampling error is + 4.3 percentage points.

Founded in 1916, The Endocrine Society is the world's oldest, largest, and most active organization devoted to research on hormones and the clinical practice of endocrinology. Today, The Endocrine Society's membership consists of over 15,000 physicians, scientists, educators, nurses and students in more than 100 countries. Society members represent all basic, applied, and clinical interests in endocrinology. The Endocrine Society is based in Chevy Chase, MD. To learn more about the Society, and the field of endocrinology, visit our web site at www.endo-society.org.

The Hormone Health Network works to join Endocrine Society physicians, primary care providers, patients and the public in meaningful, informed discussions about hormones and health. The Network offers patients and their providers free, on-line resources that are based on the Society's most advanced clinical and scientific knowledge of endocrine-related diseases and conditions. Join the Hormone Health Network today by visiting www.hormone.org and subscribing to Hormone Hotline, our monthly e-update on hormones and health.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review

With roughly 98 percent of the desktop and laptop market spoken for, you'd be forgiven for thinking your only choices for powering your computer were Windows or Mac OS X. There is another way, though. Linux may only run on a tiny sliver of consumer PCs, but the number is growing and one of the biggest players propelling its popularity is Ubuntu. Since bursting on the scene eight years ago, the distro has grown to dominate the desktop Linux market and made plenty of fans (and a few detractors) along the way. Truth is, Ubuntu is completely unique and, at least compared to other distros out there, very user-friendly. It also happens to have a very active community of developers and users willing to lend help to those in need, which makes it appealing to Linux vets, enterprise users and *nix n00bs alike.

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin is part of the company's LTS or Long Term Support series, and is guaranteed for five years of support through Canonical. That means the company is focusing less on cramming new features into this release and more on making it as stable as possible. So, if you're familiar with Ubuntu, you won't find much here that will blow your mind. Of course, the real question is whether or not the aubergine-loving open-source OS is for you, not whether there's enough new tweaks to fill a book. So, without further ado, we present Ubuntu 12.04: the review. Join us after the break, won't you?

Gallery: Ubuntu 12.04 review

Continue reading Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review

Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin review originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One World Trade Center Becomes the Tallest Building In New York Today [Architecture]

After six years of construction, One World Trade Center will surpass the 1250-foot Empire State Building as the tallest in New York this afternoon. When construction is finished, the final height of the building will be 1368 feet, with the antenna spire pushing the edifice to the patriotic height of 1776 feet. [NY Daily News] More »

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Triumph of the Titans: How Sauropods Flourished (preview)

Feature Articles | Evolution See Inside

The long-necked dinosaurs known as sauropods, once seen as icons of extinction, thrived for millions of years all around the world

By Kristina A. Curry Rogers and Michael D. D'Emic ?| April 30, 2012?|

Image: Illustration by Ra?l Martin

In Brief

• Paleontologists traditionally viewed the long-necked, small-brained giant dinosaurs referred to as sauropods as doomed creatures unfit for life on land or in the water.
• Recent discoveries have upended that scenario, revealing that sauropods pros?pered for nearly 150 million years.
• The secrets of their success seem to have been their mix of mammal-like and reptilelike traits, combined with an ability to adapt to a changing world.

Ever since fossils of the behemoth, long-necked dinosaurs known as sauropods surfaced in England nearly 170 years ago, they have awed and confused scientists. Even when the great English anatomist Sir Richard Owen recognized in 1842 that dinosaurs constituted a group of their own, apart from reptiles, he excluded the gigantic bones later classified as sauropods. Instead he interpreted them as belonging to a type of aquatic crocodile, which he had named Cetiosaurus, or ?whale lizard,? for the enormous size of its bones. Nearly 30 years later, in 1871, University of Oxford geologist John Phillips would report the discovery of a Cetiosaurus skeleton sufficiently complete to reveal that, far from being an aquatic crocodile, the animal spent at least some of its time on land.

Phillips?s assessment caused considerable consternation among paleontologists for decades?they just could not conceive how such a massive animal could support its weight on land. Because sauropods were perceived as animals without a place, unsuited for land or sea, they came to be seen as unwieldy, overgrown, archaic herbivores fated for rapid extinction or, at least, marginalization by more ?advanced? dinosaurs. As recently as 1991, scientists argued that sauropods were far from the apex of dinosaur success and only flourished in the absence of more specialized plant-eating dinosaurs. In this view, these giants of the Jurassic period, between about 200 million and 145 million years ago, gave way to bigger-brained, better-adapted herbivores in the Cretaceous, between some 145 million and 65.5 million years ago, such as the duckbilled hadrosaurs and horned ceratopsians, which outcompeted the sauropods and pushed them to the fringe.

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Getting a New Bird Cage ? Bird Articles

Getting the right Bird Cage

A cage is the most important piece of equipment you will need to buy for your new bird. The proper cage can help your bird stay healthy and safe. There are so many types of cages, choosing the right one can be hard for the new bird keeper.. How do you choose the right one?

First, consider the species of bird you intending to keep. If you want to have any type of parakeet, cockatiel or another long tailed bird species, you will need a long cage so that your bird can get plenty of exercise. Ideally, the cage should be long enough so the bird can actually fly from one side to the other. A bird with a stocky body, such as a lovebird or a Senegal parrot, gets plenty of exercise by climbing around in the cage. These birds do well in a cage that is taller than it is wide.

You should then consider the size of the cage. While usually you should plan to buy the biggest cage you can afford for your bird, a newly weaned handfed baby bird may feel lost and frightened in a large cage. A young bird also may have trouble locating food and water dishes. If you can afford to do so, it is a good idea to buy a small cage for your baby bird?s first few months and switch it to a larger cage when it is older.

Another thing to keep in mind when you are selecting your bird?s cage is the spacing between the cage bars. A great looking ?400 cage isn?t very useful if your bird can fit through the bars! If you are thinking about using a cage with wire mesh, you should compare the size of the hole in the mesh with the size of your bird?s head before you make your selection. A cage made with one inch mesh is just the right size for a cockatiel to stick a head through. Instead of pulling their heads back in through the same hole, cockatiels have been known to bend their necks into a ?U? shape and stick their heads into a different hole.

Once you have decided on the cage size and bar spacing, you should consider a few other aspects of bird cage design. Take a look at the cage tray. When you pull it out to clean it, is there a grate in the cage to keep the bird from escaping? Is the tray deep enough to catch most of the mess your bird makes? Even if the cage has a deep tray, you still may find that your bird scatters a lot of seed hulls and feathers on the floor if there is no cage apron. While you can place your cage in a plastic apron base or cover the bottom of the cage with a cloth apron, a built in metal apron is a nice feature.

Finally, don?t forget to take a look at the cage cups. There should be a way for you to easily access the cups without reaching into the cage through the main door. If you are buying a cage for a bigger bird, the cups should actually bolt to the cage unless you want to spend every morning and afternoon for the next 50 years reaching for cups that your bird has tossed onto the bottom of the cage.

If you a replacing a cage for an older parrot type bird, some owners have told me it is important to get a cage of a similar colour. They believe that a bird that has been used to a white painted cage, won?t adapt easily to a metal coloured cage.

Terry King runs Parcel Pets [http://www.pets2home.co.uk], a leading UK pet supplies [http://www.pets2home.co.uk] web site and has had pets all his life. He lives with his wife Louise, dog Sam, Cat Sabrina and 5 fish!

Author: Terry King
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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Amare Stoudemire Cuts Hand On Glass Fire-Extinguisher Case After Knicks Fall To Heat In Game 2 (VIDEO)

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