Guest guest Posted May 4, 2004 Report Share Posted May 4, 2004 Tue, 4 May 2004 11:10:14 -0500 WC Douglass Killer hormones, the sequel Daily Dose May 4, 2004 ************************************************************** Estrogenocide, part II I'm sure you all know how I feel about modern synthetic Hormone Replacement Therapy for women - I think it's cancer causing, dementia-inducing chemical Roulette. And last summer, I told you (along with Time, Newsweek, CNN, and others) about how the government stopped an ongoing HRT trial when it was discovered that the drugs being used increased the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, stroke, and heart disease. So you'd think that after such a debacle, the drug giants would know enough to give it up on HRT, right? Wrong. According to a recent Reuters online article, the National Institute of Health has now halted a SECOND major ongoing estrogen replacement trial. The reason? The drugs (which are made from the urine of pregnant horses, by the way) raised the risk of stroke in the test victims, er, subjects. Oh, and also because the hormones made no measurable improvement in their heart health - a key goal of the new study. For years, HRT has been sold to women on not just its moderation of menopause, but also on its heart disease prevention benefits. Yet millions were shocked when the original estrogen/progestin study was halted due to increased incidence of heart attack, among other things. For this latest round of now-halted research, an HRT formulation involving estrogen only was thought to provide a clear heart disease preventive. But it didn't. The article did not say whether this new form of HRT drug increased the risk of dementia, like its predecessor did (Daily Dose, 7/1/2003). So why do drug companies continue to produce and test HRT drugs, even though they've proven time and again to pose major health risks for women? Money, of course. The truckloads of cash drug makers could rake in simply by providing a drug that's even marginally effective at moderating the downsides of menopause (which drug ads play up to dramatic effect) would more than compensate them for the cost of studying the effects of HRT formulas - no matter how disastrous, or no matter how many lawsuits they lose. THAT'S how much money there is to be made in drugs... It's nothing but a cost/benefit analysis for them, no matter what the bottom line is for your health. Do yourself a favor: Steer clear of prescription HRT - unless it's the natural kind. Better yet, you can minimize hot flashes with daily doses of vitamins C and E, and bioflavonoids (like in red wine). ************************************************************** To start receiving your own copy of the Daily Dose, visit: http://www.realhealthnews.com/dailydose/freecopy.html Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the Daily Dose. ************************************************************** A new helping hand (claw?) for the disabled Lots of edgy medical news from the U.K. this month... Like something out of an Isaac Asimov novel (he wrote I, Robot, remember?), it seems an ingenious professor from the University of Staffordshire in central England has invented a real, working robot that can aid the disabled in completing a wide variety of domestic tasks. According to Reuters, the caterpillar-esque automaton (called the Flexibot) can cling to predetermined points on walls and ceilings and extend a three-fingered, claw-like helping hand to its owner, assisting in everything from shaving and hygiene to cooking, cleaning and household chores. And it's a good thing, too. New research from the Netherlands, Finland, and Italy shows that elderly men who lose their spouses have a much harder time performing even the most basic of household tasks. This difficulty can be so severe as to be classified as a disability. This research showed that it took as long as 5 years for some widowed men in their 70s to learn how to take proper care of themselves, once losing their wives. The study's authors attribute this to the immense stress and depression that can accompany the death of a spouse, which affects both the will to perform these tasks, and the physical ability to do so. Though a robot could never replace a loved one, perhaps this new Flexibot is the first in a whole generation of androids that can help slow or prevent the decline in both health and quality of life that accompanies such a tragic loss. Only time will tell, though. (Also, a new dog or cat may help too.) Flexible about the future, William Campbell Douglass II, MD ************************************************************** To start receiving your own copy of the Daily Dose, visit: http://www.realhealthnews.com/dailydose/freecopya.html Or forward this e-mail to a friend so they can sign-up to receive their own copy of the Daily Dose. ************************************************************** Copyright ©1997-2003 by www.realhealthnews.com, L.L.C. The Daily Dose may not be posted on commercial sites without written permission. ************************************************************** Before you hit reply to send us a question or request, please visit here: http://www.realhealthnews.com/questions.shtml ************************************************************** If you'd like to participate in the Dr. Douglass' Real Health Breakthroughs Forum, search past e-letters and products or you're a Dr. Douglass' Real Health Breakthroughs r and would like to search past articles, visit http://www.realhealthnews.com ************************************************************** Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at HotJobs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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