The results of a five-year study show that of every 10,000 women per year taking Prempro, there would be: 8 more cases of breast cancer, 7 more cases of heart attacks, 8 more cases of stroke, and 18 more cases of blood clots in the lungs and legs.

The results of a recent five-year study showed that of every 10,000 women per year taking Prempro, there would be: 6 fewer cases of colon cancer; and 5 fewer cases of hip fracture.

had a hip fracture each year, compared to 15 out of every 10,000 women taking placebo pills each year. Answer: There was no difference in the development of breast cancer during the first 4 years between women taking estrogen plus progestin and those taking placebo pills. After that time, the numbers began to increase. After an average of 5.2 years, there was an increased risk of breast cancer in women taking estrogen plus progestin compared to those taking placebo pills.

Answer: A woman was less likely to develop colorectal cancer if she was taking E+P. For every 10,000 women taking estrogen plus progestin, six fewer women will develop colorectal cancer while taking estrogen plus progestin. While reducing the risk developing the risk of developing colorectal cancer is favorable, the colorectal cancer cases which developed in women taking E+P were more advanced; about 76% had spread to lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body, compared to 49% of women on placebo.

Prempro's manufacturer estimates that approximately 10 million postmenopausal women are taking some form of estrogen, either alone or in combination with a progestin.

Answer: Women who were randomized to receive active hormones were taking conjugated equine estrogens 0.625 mg each day and medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg each day. This is the most commonly prescribed postmenopausal hormone therapy in the United States for women who have a uterus (used each day by more than six million women).

Answer: A woman is more likely to develop dementia if she is taking estrogen plus progestin. However, the number of women who actually do develop dementia is relatively modest--45 out of 10,000 women taking estrogen plus progestin each year, compared to 22 out of 10,000 women taking placebo each year. While this difference in rates is important, the overall risk remains small.

Answer: Fewer women who took estrogen plus progestin (E+P) developed colorectal cancer than women taking placebo (inactive pills). The cancer cases found in women taking E+P had similar characteristics (looked the same under the microscope) but the tumors had spread more throughout the body than those in the placebo group.

Answer: WHIMS includes a study of Estrogen-Alone (without progestin) for women who did not have a uterus before they joined WHI. Final results from the Estrogen-Alone study remain uncertain. Participants in the Estrogen-Alone study are asked to continue to take their study pills and to come in for their regular clinical visits.

Answer: More women who took estrogen plus progestin (E+P) developed breast cancer than women taking placebo (inactive pills). The cancer cases found in women taking E+P had similar characteristics (looked the same under the microscope), but the tumors were larger and had spread more throughout the body than those in the placebo group.

Answer: Women who were randomized to receive active hormones in this study were taking conjugated equine estrogens 0.625 mg each day and medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg each day (PremPro™). When WHI first began, this was the most commonly prescribed hormonal therapy in the United States for postmenopausal women with a uterus.

Answer: In its most recent review of the study data, the WHI Data and Safety Monitoring Board saw an increased risk of breast cancer in women taking estrogen plus progestin. The Board also saw that the previously identified risks for heart attacks, strokes and blood clots to the lungs and legs had persisted. Therefore, in the judgment of the Board, the overall risks outweighed the benefits of taking estrogen plus progestin.

The numbers of women who developed heart attacks, strokes, or blood clots in the lungs and legs were higher in women taking estrogen plus progestin. The numbers of women who had hip and other fractures or colorectal cancer were lower in women taking estrogen plus progestin. There were no differences in the number of women who had endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus) or in the number of deaths.

After lung cancer and breast cancer, colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in women in the United States. The American College of Gastroenterology recommends that African Americans should have colon screening for cancer at age 45, instead of 50. The recommendation is because African Americans are diagnosed with colorectal cancer at a younger age than Caucasians. African Americans who develop colorectal cancer have decreased survival, compared with Caucasians.

In the WHIMS Estrogen-Alone study we found that a woman was more likely to develop dementia if she had been taking active estrogen pills. However, the number of women who actually did develop dementia was smallâ?"37 out of 10,000 women taking estrogenâ?"alone each year, compared to 25 out of 10,000 women taking placebo each year, or a difference of 12 women. While this difference is important, the number of individual women who were affected was small.

Women need estrogen to enhance the quality of their life and remain healthy enough to enjoy it to the maximum.

Again, consult with your physician or medical practitioner before taking any supplements in addition to your prescription.

With the use of any prescription medication, consult your health care provider before starting any program of nutritional supplementation. Many doctors are becoming more familiar with the use of phytoestrogens, such as those contained in Innerharmony, as a gentle supplement to estrogen therapy.

Medifast Plus for Women's Health is a specially designed meal-replacement supplement, specially formulated to relieve and prevent the agonizing symptoms of Menopause. This product provides a safe and effective solution for many symptoms of menopause.

Answer: There is no evidence of an increased risk for breast cancer in women taking active estrogen alone, compared to those taking placebo pills, even after an average of 5.2 years. We do not know whether the long-term effects will differ. The Data Safety and Monitoring Board will continue to review participants' health data every 6 months.

During the years before actual menopause, estrogen may be decreasing only slightly and ovulation has ceased or is rare. Without ovulation, progesterone production is essentially zero making a woman estrogen dominant. Further supplementing the dominant estrogen simply does not make sense, and synthetic progestins have undesireable side effects.

Total Balance Women's Plus addresses the specific needs of the female reproductive system, helping to boost vitality, balance female hormones and contribute to the prevention of female-specific conditions and symptoms. Total Balance Women's Plus helps you with all areas of female health, integrating quality ingredients at an unbeatable price, enabling optimum health to be an affordable commodity. Xtend-Life's manufacturing system guarantees all ingredients are fresh and of the best quality.

Answer: We do not yet know to what extent these findings may apply to Estrogen-Alone study participants. That part of the study (for women who have had a hysterectomy) is continuing as the balance of risks and benefits is not yet clear. This study is scheduled to be complete in 2005.

I'm really not trying to scare you here, I'm just laying out some facts that I think you should know ( especially if you are a gainer or planning to be one ). Remember, if you have good eating habits and exercise regularly, many of these risks don't apply to you. Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the United States.