The Truth About Hormone Replacement Therapy: How to Break Free from the Medical Myths of Menopause [Paperback]

Well-known alternative-medicine practitioner and journalist Fugh-Berman leads the list of authors of this critique of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) provided by the National Women's Health Network. An updated version of the network's Taking Hormones and Women's Health: Choices, Risks and Benefits (1989), this book argues that the medical and pharmaceutical professions are responsible for the "medicalization" of menopause. The authors disagree with the widely promoted message that nearly all perimenopausal women should use HRT for cardiovascular and bone health or to modulate health problems associated with that stage of life; they argue that, except for a very small percentage of women, using alternative therapies is preferred. They also report on studies of HRT and provide a wealth of information. While their analytical and cautious approach is commendable, their words are often provocative e.g., they claim that the drug companies "play on women's fears," utilize "scare tactics," and "artfully persuade." Within the profusion of books on HRT on the market today, this one stands out not because of its advocacy of alternative treatments but because it is so vehement in its criticism of the medical and pharmaceutical establishments. Recommended for its practical suggestions and for encouraging evaluation of the issues. Linda M.G. Katz, MCP Hahnemann Univ. Lib., Philadelphia
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

This informative and candid book, a product of the National Women's Health Network, addresses a major problem for women today: the medicalization of menopause, which is, after all, a natural occurrence in the life cycle of every woman. Drug companies in search of greater profits are primarily to blame for the medicalization of menopause, and the book points out how those companies wormed their way into the medical literature, scientific and pseudoscientific, and how pervasively they affect medical and clinical education. Direct-to-consumer advertising has become a profitable approach for drug companies, encouraging patients to pressure physicians to prescribe a company's products, even when they aren't needed. What's more, bone-density screening is another marketing tool. Readers are given questions to ask their health-care providers, counseled to be aware of the vast amount of misinformation on the Internet, and shown in an appendix what to look for to assess medical articles and reports. William Beatty
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Just Say No to America's Number-One Drug
Menopause is not a disease. So why are millions of American women taking a drug for this natural body process?
The widespread popularity of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a triumph of marketing and advertising over science. Although HRT and estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) can help some women with certain menopause-related problems, the benefits have been oversold to women and their health care providers. There is no scientifically valid evidence that estrogen prevents heart disease, colon cancer, or Alzheimer's. Nor is there any evidence that it keeps you looking younger, preserves your sex drive, or enhances your memory.
However, HRT does carry the risk of serious side effects, including certain cancers. Should you be taking such risky drugs to help you get through menopause? The Truth About Hormone Replacement Therapy, written by the National Women's Health Network, will help you decide. Inside, you'll discover:
·The risks of hormone replacement therapy
·How to talk to your doctor about HRT
·The truth about hormone therapy and osteoporosis
·Natural alternatives to relieve perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms
·And much more
This sensible health guide gives you the tools you need to make an informed decision that's best for you and your body.
"A balanced review of the hazards and potential benefits of hormone therapy after menopause."
—Graham A. Colditz, M.D., professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School

Three thousand members strong, the National Women's Health Network, is a group of women physicians and other health care professionals and concerned women who advocate for women's health. Members include research scientists at some of the nation's top medical schools and women who are key players in government health organizations.