Hormonal changes: Does menopause worsen rheumatoid arthritis symptoms?

Hormone changes caused by menopause make rheumatoid arthritis symptoms worse in women, according to a study. After studying 8189 women with rheumatoid arthritis, researchers found that pre-menopausal women experienced a slower physical decline than those that were post-menopausal. Physical function is an important aspect of study in patients with rheumatoid arthritis as it impacts their quality of life. Women experience rheumatoid arthritis at a rate three times greater than men, and also have more severe decline and increased disability, yet the sex-based differences in the condition remain poorly understood. Previous…

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Ladies, eat well. Being underweight could put you at greater risk of early menopause

Women who were underweight as teenagers or in their mid-30s are at greater risk of facing an early menopause compared to lean or normal weight women, researchers have warned. Early menopause, defined as naturally occurring menopause before age 45, is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions such as cognitive decline, osteoporosis and premature death. The results showed that women who were underweight at any age (BMI of less than 18.5 kg/m2) had a significant, 30% increased risk of early menopause compared with lean or…

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Eating your way through menopause

During menopause, when a woman’s hormones are out of control, her mood swings can sometimes be overwhelming. Emotions simply cannot keep pace with the swift changes in the body. And because she’s not feeling happy, she’s less likely to take care of herself. There are many things you can do to ease the process. Now, more than ever, you need to embrace a lifestyle that is healthy and balanced, even if you do feel off-kilter on some days. And because menopause is a time associated with weight gain, hot flushes,…

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Girls Who Face Early Menstruation At The Risk of Premature Menopause: Study

A new study published in the Journal Human Production indicates the risk that women who get their period early and those who’ve never had a child face. The study shows that women who have their periods before the age of 12 and those who have not borne a child till the age of 35, face the risk of early menopause. The age at which a girl gets her first period and the age at which women hit menopause are important key factors that determine the overall reproductive health. Moreover, the risk…

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Menopause Before 40 Ups Fracture Risk

If you are in menopause before the age of 40, you have a higher fracture risk, even with calcium and vitamin D supplements, says a study. For years, calcium and vitamin D have been touted for their abilities to increase bone mineral density. Hormone therapy is also recognised for its ability to help ward off osteoporosis. That is what prompted this latest study — published online in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) — to evaluate the effectiveness of calcium, vitamin D, and/or hormones in offsetting…

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Early menopause tied to heart risk and early death

Women who enter menopause before age 45 are more likely to have cardiovascular problems and to die younger than women who enter menopause later in life, according to a new analysis. The findings suggest that age at menopause may help predict women’s risk for future health problems, said lead author Dr. Taulant Muka, of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. “Women with early onset of menopause may be a group to target for proactive cardiovascular prevention strategies,” Muka told Reuters Health in an email. One in 10 women…

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