October 1, 2007
1 min read
Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmEasing Hormone Anxiety
For women just past menopause, hormone pills seem safe
By Tabitha M. Powledge
On supporting science journalism
If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.
Five years ago panicked postmenopausal women threw away their hormone pills after the federal government revealed that the drugs raised the risk of breast cancer and coronary disease. In 2006 only six million U.S. women got hormone prescriptions, a dramatic drop from 16 million in 2001. It seemed like the end for hormone therapy, especially for the previously fashionable notion that hormones protected older women from cardiovascular disease and other ills caused by aging.
But papers published this year, written by researchers who delivered the original warning, show that taking hormones soon after menopause—within about 10 years—is safe for most women. The data even suggest that hormone therapy for less than 10 years may improve some women’s health more than doing nothing.
It’s Time to Stand Up for Science
If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.
I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.
If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.
In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.
There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.
