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The majority of women experience a variety of symptoms at the time of the menopause, but these are frequently regarded as being unworthy of management by their doctors. Recent reports of a possible association between exogenous oestrogens and endometrial carcinoma have increased professional reluctance to prescribe oestrogens for menopausal symptoms. This report describes the initial 50 patients who have attended a special clinic established to manage symptomatic menopausal women; common complaints included hot flushes, lack of energy, altered temperament, dyspareunia and headache. Oestrogen therapy was effective in the alleviation of symptoms and the practical aspects of oestrogen use are discussed. It is recommended that with due recognition of its potential complications, oestrogen therapy should be made available to symptomatic menopausal women, and that it requires further study in regard to its place in the long-term prophylaxis of osteoporosis.
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PMID:Oestrogens and menopausal and postmenopausal women. 19 65

Although oral contraception (OC) offers reliable and esthetic contraception for 40-50 million women in the world today, serious complications do occur with its use and must be considered in a basic risk-benefit equation. Thorough knowledge of these complications and their predisposing factors may guide the selection of patients for OC use and management of its use. The following complications are reviewed: Vascular thrombosis (cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease), hypertension, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, neoplasms (cervical tumors, breast tumors, endometrial carcinoma, benign tumors of the uterus and ovary, liver tumors), subsequent reproductive function (outcome of pregnancy), subjective effects (emotional state), gallbladder disease, liver function, and other effects. The incidence of complications may be decreased by proper prescribing and selection of patients. OC use in hypertensive or diabetic patients is not recommended. They should be used with caution in the younger obese patient and not used in the obese patient over age 35. OC may be prescribed for women over age 35 who do not smoke or have any other risk factor and who are apprised of the possible but uncertain degree of increased risk of coronary occlusion from pill use alone. Women with headaches developing or increasing with OC use should discontinue this method of contraception. It is recommended that women with any of these risk factors who have completed their desired families should be offered surgical sterilization.
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PMID:Oral contraception. 38 49

The gonadal steroids--estrogens and androgens--appear to have a mood-elevating, psychotonic effect. The improved sense of well-being and increased vigor probably is engendered by restoration of somatic efficiency and psychic equilibrium. 1. The male climacteric, as observed in a limited number of men, is associated with a low level of serum testosterone. The levels of follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone are not elevated because estrogen concentration continues unaltered well into old age. Androgen replacement therapy often lessens fatigue, depression and headaches, and headaches, and improves libidinous drives. 2. In the aging female, many climatric symptoms other than those due to vasomotor instability were heretofore considered merely coincidental. Recent studies suggest that the metabolism of cerebral hormones is markedly influenced by endogenous and exogenous gonadal steroids. Thus, postmenopausal depression, headaches, and nervousness may be hormone-dependent symptoms. 3. The incidence of endometrial cancer is no greater and is probably less in estrogen-treated women than in women not treated with estrogen, if regular cyclic courses of an oral progestogen are added to the regimen.
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PMID:Update on the male and female climateric. 48 57

After exploring the possible mechanism of action of oral contraceptives through an estrogen progestin combination, as well as by means of the sequential method, the pathophysiologic and side effects of the pill, as it appears in the literature, is explored in depth. Thromboembolitic disease is the only condition in which there is a definite association with the use of oral contraceptive pill, and there is some doubt as to how strong the association really is. Some studies suggest that mortality from thromboembolic disorders which can be attributed to the pill is about 3/100,000 per year. Studies have also shown that mortality trends from thromboembolitic disease among women of childbearing ages were parallel to the increased use of oral contraceptives among this group of women, however the data may be weak. Data from various sources indicate that the estrogenic component of the pill are primarily responsible for the thrombogenic effect, with estrogen increasing platelet adhesiveness and enhancing coagulability. Progestogens, on the other hand, enhance fibroinolysis and do not alter platelet function or coagulation. Other side effects of the pill such as naseau, headaches, and weight gain are usually not of any serious consequence. According to 1 study, amenorrhea after cessation of the pill has occurred in very small numbers, but 98% of the women are ovulatory within 3 months after cessation of the pill. The oral contraceptive pill may actually have beneficial effects on genital and endometrial cancer due to the pill's progesterone content. Estrogens have shown both a positive and negative influence on cancer of the uterus and breast, depending on the menopausal status of the women. It is generally agreed that the best dosage of hormones in the pill is the lowest possible varying with the size and body weight of the woman, among other factors. Some studies have shown that in Puerto Rico, IUD users have a higher continuation rate than characteristics than the pill users, thereby making the 2 groups incomparable.
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PMID:Oral contraceptives: a review of the literature. 109 15

The side effects of using estrogen treatments to relieve menopausal symptoms in women are presented. Estrogens are effective in relieving headaches, vertigo, palpitations, and nervous symptoms such as depression, as well as degeneration and atrophy of the genital organs. In Norway, 2.5% of women over 45 as compared with 50% in the U.S. use estrogens to relieve menopausal symptoms. The incidence of endometrial cancer has risen from 9.2/100,000 in 1955 to 15.4 in 1974. Increased susceptibility to endometrial cancer has been linked to long-term use of estrogens, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and nulliparity. In American studies, Premarin has been associated with increased risk of cancer related to the chemical equilinine, which has a long half-life. After menopause, the need for estrogen is met by the conversion of androstenedione, which is produced by the adrenal gland. When estrogens are taken, it may result in an overstimulation of the endometrium, which could cause cancer. Estrogens have bene found useful and safe for short-term relief of menopausal symptoms, and any patient using estrogens should be under routine observation to prevent development of cancer.
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PMID:[From the Adverse Drug Reaction Committee. Can long-term estrogen treatment induce uterine neoplasms in post-climacteric women?]. 125 36

Mechanism of action, indications, side effects and contraindications of oral contraceptive agents (OCA) are reviewed. OCA can be divided into two groups: consecutive and combined agents. Combined OCA contain both estrogens and gestagens and are taken for 3 weeks, while consecutive OCA contain only estrogens and are taken for 2 weeks followed by 1 week of combined OCA until the onset of menstruation. Biological activity of synthetic gestagens is estimated by a dosage which results in a delay of menstruation by 2 weeks. Gestagens norethindrone and norethynodrel were shown to be equally effective, while ethinodiol diacetate and norgestrel were 15-30 times more effective. Estrogen component of OCA is represented by ethinyl estradiol or mestranol. Combined OCA are more effective than consecutive OCA; probability of undesirable pregnancy during administration of combined OCA does not exceed 0.2%. The most frequent side-effects of OCA include nausea, headache, uterine hemorrhage, and changes in libido. OCA can affect the endocrine and reproductive systems. Major endocrine effects of OCA include changes in the cortisol metabolism in the adrenal glands, increase in the level of thyroid-binding globulin in the thyroid gland, changes in the glucose metabolism in the pancreas, inhibition of the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone in the hypothalamus with simultaneous decrease in the production of pituitary gonadotropins and inhibition of the ovulation. The most serious side-effects of OCA include cholelithiasis, thrombophlebitis, thromboembolism, liver adenoma, and myocardial infarction. Absolute contraindications to the use of OCA include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, breast or endometrial cancer, pregnancy, cardio-vascular diseases, liver diseases, and kidney insufficiency.
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PMID:[Principles of the use of oral contraceptive preparations]. 307 80

Symptoms due to estrogen deficiency begin in the perimenopausal years and progress as serum levels of this hormone decrease Vasomotor instability, manifested by hot flushes or night sweats, may persist for several months to a few years. Psychologic symptoms include anxiety, tension, depression, insomnia, palpitations, and headaches. Atrophy of the genital epithelium may result in senile vaginitis with symptoms of irritation, burning, pruritus, dyspareunia, and even vaginal bleeding. Even the lower urinary tract mucosa is dependent upon estrogen. Postmenopausal osteoporosis affects 25 to 50% of older women and increases the risk for vertebral, hip, and other fractures. Estrogen therapy for menopausal complaints has received adverse publicity because several reports have indicated that unopposed estrogens increase the risk of endometrial cancer. Added progestogen not only negates this risk but reduces the incidence of endometrial adenocarcinoma in estrogen-progestogen users to less than that observed in untreated women. Estrogen replacement therapy does not increase the risk of breast cancer; the incidence of this malignancy, however, was also less in the estrogen-progestogen users when compared with either the untreated women or from that expected from the national cancer surveys. In evaluating postmenopausal women for hormone replacement, the benefits of estrogen-progestogen therapy must be weighed against possible risks.
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PMID:The menopause. 351 23

Prescription of oral contraceptives is reviewed by giving practical tips on the absolute contraindications, timing of the first dose, dose of estrogen, choice of type of progestin, reasons for changing the combination, and a list of benefits of oral contraceptives. The major risk in taking orals is cardiovascular disease, but actual risks are clustered in subsets of women. Those at high risk are women over 45, smokers over 35, and smokers of any age with cardiovascular risk factors. Generally women should start with a 30 or 35 mcg estrogen combined pill, and perhaps consider taking a higher estrogen dose if they experience breakthrough bleeding or amenorrhea. The 1st cycle can be started at any time up to 6 days after Cycle Day 1 or after spontaneous or induced abortion. Women taking bromocriptine should also begin contraception soon after delivery. Signs of potential major complications are abdominal pain, chest pain or dyspnea, headache or neurologic symptoms, visual or speech problems, or leg pain or weakness. Benefits of oral contraception include menstrual regulation, decreased menstrual flow, prevention of functional ovarian cysts, protection against ovarian and endometrial cancer by half, against benign breast disease, and possibly against pelvic inflammatory disease.
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PMID:Oral contraceptives. Who, which, when, and why? 362 38

This paper reviews both minor and major adverse reactions caused by estrogenic substances (natural and synthetic, steroidal and nonsteroidal) of which diethylstilbestrol is the prototype of nonsteroidal synthetic estrogen. Minor side effects include nausea, breast tenderness, and excessive cervical secretions (most common), headache, and water and salt retention (less common and often eradicated by lowering estrogen dosage). Vertigo, yeast infections, depression, and photosensitivity are other minor effects. Major side effects are discussed in some detail. Major effects include those on the endocrine system (e.g., feminization in boys and men and precocious puberty in girls); breast tumors; endometrial carcinoma; ovarian tumors; hypertension; thromboembolism; blood clotting excesses; various metabolic effects (including lipid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism alterations); liver changes (bile alterations and neoplasms); porphyria; melanoma; and effects on a fetus in situ during maternal estrogen administration. In general, lowering doses of estrogen should help eradicate or alleviate most of these effects.
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PMID:Clinical toxicology of estrogens. 741 28

In western countries more than 30% of the female population are postmenopausal. Approximately 30% of postmenopausal women suffer from clinical symptoms of the climacteric such as vasomotor symptoms, associated with hot flushes, night sweat, insomnia and depressive mood. Sufficient hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) will abolish specific menopausal symptoms in over 90% of patients, unspecific symptoms such as headache respond to placebo and HRT equally well. The question of cancer risk related to HRT will be addressed in this review. In combination with progestins, estrogens are obviously protective regarding ovarian and endometrial cancer. The association between HRT and breast cancer risk is presently unclear. Epidemiological data available so far do not provide compelling evidence as to a cause and effect relationship between HRT and breast cancer risk. There seems to be an overall trend towards a slightly increased risk with increasing duration of HRT use. Guidelines for HRT use in women with a history of endometrial and breast cancer are provided in this article.
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PMID:Benefits and risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). 762 55


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