New research disputes earlier claims
A new research study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts found a trend between hearing loss among menopausal women.
The study, which will be published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), focused on data collected from 80,972 post-menopausal women. The self-reported study indicated that menopausal women who undergo hormone therapy for extended periods of time are at a greater risk for hearing loss.
Previously, it was believed that hormone therapy would actually improve hearing loss in menopausal women.
“The finding from this observational study that women who underwent menopause at a later age and used oral hormone therapy had greater hearing loss was unexpected but should lead to more testing in a randomized, clinical trial,” says Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, NAMS executive director.
Menopause usually occurs in women over the age of 45 and brings with it symptoms like vaginal dryness, hot flashes, mood swings, among others.
While the Brigham and Women’s Hospital-led study does present a comprehensive set of facts supporting hearing loss among women who use HRT, the overall benefits and risk of undergoing hormone replacement therapy should be taken up with a woman’s physician.
In an effort to make the conversation about menopause a more exhaustive one, the JAMA network published a one-sheet that can help women when speaking to their physicians.
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