Alternative Menopause Treatment Featured in Changes Magazine

Changes, the official consumer magazine for the North American Menopause Society, features alternatives to hormone replacement therapy from Gage Phytolabs.

Tulsa, Okla. (PRWEB) May 31, 2007 -- Changes, the official consumer magazine for the North American Menopause Society, features alternatives to hormone replacement therapy from Gage Phytolabs.

Changes focuses on the latest research and treatment of menopausal symptoms, as well as lifestyle issues for women approaching and passing menopause. With articles on everything from beauty to sexuality, the magazine promises to be a comprehensive guide to aging gracefully for women.

The magazine has teamed up with Gage Phytolabs to share scientific information about alternative menopause treatments with its readers. Gage Phytolabs's line of herbal pharmaceuticals includes VagRenew™, an estrogen cream alternative. The product was clinically proven to reduce menopausal symptoms in studies led by Dr. Thomas Matkov, a board-certified urologist.

Menopausal symptoms addressed by Changes and Gage Phytolabs include vaginal dryness, urinary incontinence and pelvic pain, especially during intercourse

"Changes magazine and Gage Phytolabs will really make a difference in the lives of women living with menopausal symptoms," said Matkov. "Both are helping women feel whole and healthy as they age. They're a perfect support system for women facing menopause."

Members of the fastest-growing demographic in our population, women entering middle-age, are eager for publications like Changes that speak to their health concerns and lifestyle. With hormone replacement therapy under the gun after recent reports of life-threatening side effects, the alternative menopause treatments featured in Changes offer a fresh perspective for middle-aged women.

Visit Gage Phytolabs to learn more about the symptoms and treatment of menopause or to sign-up for a free menopause newsletter.

About GAGE Phytolaboratories, LLC
GAGE Phytolaboratories are the makers of herbal pharmaceuticals and were founded by three practicing clinical physicians. The products they have developed are the result of long-term, ongoing scientific research and personal experience with patients. In addition to VagRenew™ estrogen cream alternative, GAGE offers NoBleed™, a cream for the prevention of recurring nosebleeds.

Marketing for press release provided by Xeal Inc.

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Hormone Therapy in Early Post-Menopause Has No Effect on Memory

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Hormone therapy taken in the first few years after menopause does not appear to affect a woman’s memory, but may lead to increased sexual interest, according to a study published in the September 25, 2007, issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study, the largest to date examining the effects of hormone therapy in early post-menopausal women, involved 180 women between the ages of 45 and 55 who had finished their last menstrual cycle in the past one to three years. The women were randomly given placebo or hormone therapy consisting of daily estrogen and progesterone for four months. The women also underwent tests on memory, attention, cognitive function, emotional status, sexuality, and sleep.

The study found no significant difference in cognition among women taking hormone therapy compared to women taking placebo.

“These results are similar to previous studies suggesting hormone therapy has minimal effect on a woman’s memory when taken many years after menopause,” said study author Pauline Maki, PhD, with the University of Illinois in Chicago. “While our results are inconsistent with smaller studies that found improvement in verbal memory for women who only used estrogen, it may be that progesterone modifies the protective effects of estrogen on verbal memory.”

The study also found an increase in sexual interest and thoughts in the women taking hormone therapy. “The level of sexual interest reported by women on hormone therapy increased 44 percent and their number of sexual thoughts increased 32 percent compared to the placebo group,” said Maki.

In addition, women with vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, showed a decrease in such symptoms and an improvement in general quality of life, but no cognitive benefits over placebo. Maki says the study is limited since it was terminated before it reached its desired sample size of 275 women due to a drop in participation over concerns about the safety of hormone therapy following publication of the Women’s Health Initiative, which suggested long-term use of hormone therapy increases a women’s risk for breast cancer and does not protect against cardiovascular disease.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals supported the study.