OB-GYN group backs hormone therapy for menopause hot flashes, night sweats
A US group of doctors who treat women now backs hormone therapy for many women with hot flashes and night sweats from menopause, CBS News and NPR reported. It is the group's first update on this in more than ten years. It also lists drugs without hormones for women who cannot use them.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has issued new guidance that backs hormone replacement therapy for many women with hot flashes, night sweats and other menopause symptoms, CBS News and NPR reported. It is the group's first update on the topic in more than a decade, CBS News reported; NPR reported it is the first since 2014.
The guidance says hormone therapy is best started before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause, CBS News and NPR reported. "Hormone therapy is probably the best option for symptomatic, newly menopausal women within 10 years of the final menstrual period or before the age of 60," guideline co-author Robert Kauffman said at a briefing, according to NPR.
The safety of hormone therapy for these women is now "well-established," said Catherine Cansino, who chairs the group's clinical guidelines committee, according to NPR. A 2002 study raised fears about cancer and other risks, but it mostly involved older women, CBS News and NPR reported.
"Hormone replacement therapy is now the first line" for hot flashes, night sweats and sleep problems, OB-GYN and menopause specialist Kameelah Phillips said, according to CBS News. Women with a history of blood clots, stroke, liver disease or breast cancer should avoid it, CBS News reported.
For women who cannot or will not take hormones, the guidance points to other drugs, NPR reported. They include fezolinetant, sold as Veozah, and elinzanetant, sold as Lynkuet, which block brain signals that control body temperature and sleep, according to NPR. Gabapentin and some antidepressants are also options, NPR reported.
Demand for hormone therapy is rising, and estrogen patches have been hard for pharmacies to keep in stock, NPR reported. Cansino said patients should talk with trusted clinicians and avoid "tunnel vision" about a single treatment, according to NPR.
What we know: The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now backs hormone therapy for many women with menopause symptoms.
What we don't: How quickly doctors will change their practice.
Where outlets agree CBS News and NPR report that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists issued new guidance backing hormone therapy for menopause symptoms.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.