Estrogen Replacement Therapy
Only 35 to40% of women ever start ERT and many do not
continue, according to a study in the Archives Of internal
Medicine 200!; 161:1161-1172 by Glazier and Bowman entitled: A
Review of the Evidence for the Use of Phytoestrogens as a
Replacement for Traditional Estrogen Replacement Therapy. They
report an increasing interest in the use of plant-derived
estrogen, also known as phytoestrogens, either in diet or
supplemental form. The intent of their review was to determine
the evidence for the potential use of phytoestrogens to replace
traditional forms of ERT. The review indicated that more than
1000 articles had been published in the last 30 years about
phytoestrogens. They looked at 74 studies based on whether the
studies used human subjects, the quality of the clinical research
and its relevance to the goal of this study.
The goal was to see what role phytoestrogens played in inhibiting
the growth of cancer cell lines and its role in reduction of
cholesterol levels. They further examined one of phytoestrogens
derivatives (ipriflavone) potential to prevent osteoporosis.
While they found that the evidence for potential health benefits
was increasing, the health benefits of prescribed ERT far
outweigh those of phytoestrogens and suggest that there is
insufficient evidence to recommend phytoestrogens in place of
ERT.
FOR AN INFORMATIVE AND PERSONAL ARTICLE ON PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS WHEN SELECTING A NURSING HOME SEE OUR ARTICLE "How to Select a Nursing Home"
Harold Rubin, MS, ABD, CRC, Guest Lecturer
October 7, 2001
http://www.therubins.com
To e-mail: rehabstrat1@aol.com or rubin@brainlink.com