for eMaxHealthMenopause Symptoms Impact on Business
Data Show Women Under-Educated and Ill-Prepared to Evaluate Treatment Options of Menopause
On Sept. 28, at The North American Menopause Society's (NAMS) annual meeting, data presented from the first-ever survey measuring the impact of menopausal symptoms on U.S. business women showed that three-quarters of respondents (74 percent) with menopausal experience said at least one symptom was disruptive to their lives. Almost half of the respondents (45 percent) said the menopause experience was worse than they expected.
"With women making up almost half of U.S. workers in 2004, and recent trends showing that female baby boomers are expected to remain in the workforce past retirement age, the effects of menopausal symptoms and the choice of appropriate treatment are emerging as significant public health issues," said James A. Simon, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology, George Washington University, Washington D.C., Medical Director, The Women's Health Resource Center(R), Laurel, Maryland and immediate past president of North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
According to the survey of women 35 and older from the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), 95 percent of menopausal NAFE members experience physical symptoms, most commonly hot flashes and night sweats, and three-quarters (75 percent) of these women are concerned that symptoms will occur at inconvenient times.
"While presenting to our senior management team I felt a hot flash coming on. I was so concerned about turning red and sweating that I lost track of what I was saying. When I lost my train of thought, I became more stressed which in turn, made my symptoms even worse," said Donna Cook, a conference services manager and NAFE member.
The survey also showed that women are confused about the best way to treat menopausal symptoms, specifically when it comes to hormone therapy. Although most (56 percent) survey respondents consider themselves knowledgeable about the risks and benefits of hormone therapy, more than three out of five (65 percent) responded incorrectly when asked to identify specific risks of estrogen therapy on conditions such as heart attack and breast cancer.
"At the lowest dose for the shortest duration, hormone therapy remains the most effective way to treat menopausal symptoms," said Dr. Simon. "It is important to remember that these recommendations are supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as NAMS." In other survey results, when asked about the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, many (40 percent) NAFE members said they had heard of the study and one-third (30 percent) admit that it confused their understanding about the benefits and risks of hormone therapy. Of the members who have experienced menopausal symptoms, two out of five members (41 percent) have used hormone therapy to treat their menopausal symptoms and over half (57 percent) of those continue with the treatment.
In addition to confusion about the risks of hormone therapy, NAFE members surveyed also were unaware that they have choices when it comes to how the ingredients hormone therapy products are made. The survey found that half (50 percent) of NAFE members are unaware that the most commonly prescribed hormone therapy products are derived from pregnant mare's urine. However, when NAFE members were asked if they would prefer a hormone therapy made from plant sources or the urine of pregnant horses, 66% of the women who would use hormone therapy said they would prefer a treatment made from plant sources and 2% would use treatment made from the urine of pregnant horses.
"Low-dose plant-derived estrogen therapy products such as Cenestin(R) are available that are proven to consistently relieve the symptoms associated with menopause," Dr. Simon said. "Women need to understand their options and talk to their health care provider about creating a personalized treatment plan to alleviate menopausal symptoms."
About the Survey on Menopause
Harris Interactive(R) conducted the online survey in the U.S. on behalf of Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. between February 1 and 28, 2005 among 961 members of the National Association for Female Executives ages 35 and over. Figures for age, race/ethnicity, education, income, and region were weighted where necessary to align with proportions of the NAFE database. Results are representative of the population of women who are members of NAFE.
Though this online sample is not a probability sample, in theory, with probability samples of this size, one could say with 95 percent certainty that the results for the overall sample have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. Sampling error for the following sub-sample results: NAFE members who have experienced menopause symptoms (n=754), are currently in menopause (n=279), are familiar with the WHI study (n=392), have taken hormone therapy (n=295) and have discontinued use of hormone therapy (n=123) is higher and varies.
About Menopause
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when the menstrual period ceases and the ovaries permanently stop releasing eggs. Menopause can occur naturally or may be induced by surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. Menopause is considered complete when a woman has been without her period for a full year. While some women experience no menopausal symptoms, others suffer severe symptoms that require treatment. Vasomotor symptoms (night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness) are the most common menopausal symptoms. - SAN DIEGO
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