Treatment option for Menopause

Hormone replacement therapy for Menopause
In HRT synthetic estrogen, progesterone is given to boost hormone levels.
There are a number of risks and side effects associated with HRT
Side effects include poor compliance and need for very long term treatment.
WHI trial involving 16000 healthy women on HRT aged 50 was stopped due to increased risk of:
• Breast cancer – 26%
• CHD – 29%
• Stroke – 41%

(July 17,2002-Vol 288:Pg.321-333 JAMA.)

Phytoestrogen (Isoflavone)
Isoflavones are polyphenolic compounds that are capable of exerting estrogen like effects. For this reason, they are classified as phytoestrogens
Isoflavones are structurally similar to the mammalian estrogen, estradiol.
Because of this similarity in structure, they mimic the action of estrogen and provide estrogenic benefits.

Estrogen Receptors
There are alpha and beta receptors for estrogen. Estrogens like all hormones act by binding to receptors located on the cell, which provokes reactions.

The alpha-receptors are linked with a risk of estrogen related cancers. On the other hand, the beta-receptors initiate only favorable effects. The repartation of these 2 types of receptors in the cells and organs is different. Different tissues appear to have different ratios of each receptor type.
Isoflavones appear to bind better to estrogen receptor-beta than to estrogen receptor-alpha.