drcarolynee - finding the answers to health and happiness
It’s not always that post-menopausal women get a break. I lie, they are prone to breaks. Broken bones, that is, from osteoporosis, or thin bones. However, a recent review has produced some fabulous conclusions. Drinking wine reduces the risk of hip fracture. Yes, that means …
You gotta love something that is endorsed by Oprah, no? Imagine cooling yourself down in the heat of a hot flush, with a set of classy pearls. That’s right, pearls! Or something that looks a lot like pearls anyway – these babies contain cooling gel. …
Read our media release on our study on acupuncture for hot flushes here. Hot flushes are the most common and bothersome symptom during the menopause, and acupuncture might be an effective treatment. We need women to participate in clinical trials – so spread the word on this exciting research.
It’s been long recognised that smokers go through the menopause earlier than non-smokers, and a recent large study confirms this. The lead author is quoted as saying “‘General consensus is that earlier menopause is likely to be associated with the larger number and higher risk …
Not all websites are created equal… but here are some reliable ones by independent (read: non-commercial) organisations. http://www.managingmenopause.org.au – maintained by Jean Hailes for Women’s Health, a national not-for-profit women’s health foundation (and a close collaborator on our acupuncture for hot flushes study – we …
The word “menopause” is derived from the Greek words men and pausis, referring to the cessation of menstruation. The menopause can actually only be defined in retrospect, when there has been 12 months or more since the final menstrual period. The final menstrual period or menopause is preceded by a phase called the menopausal transition (lasting an average of 4 years), during which there are considerable fluctuations in hormonal levels and cycle lengths. The menopause essentially marks the end of reproductive function and signals that ovarian hormone production has dropped significantly and will remain very low or negligible. And, the final menstrual period is exactly that – the very last period! (Yay!)
More information on the menopause can be found at www.managingmenopause.org.au.
O’Dowd M, Philipp E. The history of obstetrics and gynaecology. New York: Parthenon Publishing Group Ltd 1994.
Soules MR, Sherman S, Parrott E, Rebar R, Santoro N, Utian W, et al. Executive summary: Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop (STRAW). Climacteric. 2001 2001;4(4):267-72.
Burger HG, Dudley EC, Robertson DM, Dennerstein L. Hormonal changes in the menopause transition. Recent Progress in Hormone Research, Vol 57 2002:257-75.
This is hot off the press. A very recent review on menopause and hot flushes, written by a collaboration of menopause experts including Professor Martha Hickey from our very own University of Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital, commented that “Acupuncture may ameliorate climacteric symptoms but …
That is what I am presumably spending the next six years finding out, though I don’t think I can really claim to answer the question after doing a mere PhD on the topic – but I will hopefully be adding to the “body of evidence”. …
