Charles Powell, MD, said he sometimes has a hard time persuading patients to start on low-dose vaginal estrogen, which can help prevent urinary tract infections and ease other symptoms of menopause.Many women fear taking these vaginal products due to what Powell considers excessively strong warnings about the risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease linked to daily estrogen pills that were issued in the early 2000s.
"The bottom line is, for too long, menopause has been overlooked, underinvested in and left behind," Murray said during a May 2 press conference."It is well past time to stop treating menopause like some kind of secret and start treating it like the major mainstream public health issue it is.
According to the study, which Manson co-authored, younger women have a low risk for cardiovascular disease and other associated conditions when taking hormone therapy. Risks attributed to these drugs were less than one additional adverse event per 1000 women annually. This population may also derive significant quality-of-life benefits for symptom relief.