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Current mainstream medicine promotes estrogen as a form of prevention of cardiovascular disease in women. Many women are encouraged to take synthetic hormones because of heart-protective reports. Are we really helping women here? There have been more than 20 studies published in the past decade addressing the use of estrogen for the risk of heart disease. The highly regarded Framingham Study, the only ongoing, long-term study in the United States, found no coronary benefit from estrogen use. Other studies have found increased risk of cardiovascular disease from estrogen use. We do know the use of estrogen increases the risk of breast cancer, endometrial cancer, hypertension, depression, etc. Why assume these risks when there are safer and more effective choices available. Cardiovascular disease is a big problem in our society, but using estrogen when it is not needed, is not the answer. In regards to strokes, a 1991 New England Journal of Medicine report noted that the use of estrogen was associated with an increased ischemic stroke risk of 47 percent. This falls in step with other studies indicating estrogen use actually increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. In the U.S. our doctors are bombarded with advertisements of the claimed benefit of estrogen. Sales of synthetic estrogen continue to soar. With the risks and side effects associated with estrogen use, it would be more sensible to improve health through safe means (e.g. good diet, exercise, quality vitamin supplements, and if needed, the supplementation of natural progesterone cream). |
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