Oct 23 2009
Earlier this year, the BBC reported that "HRT - Hormone Replacement Therapy - can shrink women's brains", after a study was published which showed that brain volume in women taking HRT was smaller in two key areas involved in thinking and memory.
This comes in addition to earlier results from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Memory Study that linked HRT to an increased risk of memory loss and dementia, and an article in the Lancet which concluded that HRT "substantially increases the risk of dementia of any cause and cognitive* decline" (* memory, thinking and understanding).
This adds to the growing body of evidence that the risks of HRT far outweigh any perceived benefits, evidence that Nutri Pharma feels needs to be brought to the attention of the 150,000 women in Norway and millions of women across Europe who are still being prescribed this treatment.
Nutri5® is Nutri Pharma's natural product for the relief of menopausal symptoms, shown to be effective in an open pilot study. In addition to reducing menopausal symptoms, improving heart health and reducing the risk of osteoporosis, clinical trials on soy diets containing high levels of soy isoflavones like those found in Nutri5® have also shown that, unlike HRT, these can actually improve the cognitive function of post-menopausal women (aged 45+).
Dr. Bernt Rognlien of Balderklinikken, responsible for the pilot study on Nutri5 in Norway says "these new findings confirm that the different effects of the two treatments on brain health can be considerable and provide yet another reason for adopting a more natural approach to the treatment of menopausal symptoms." Nutri Pharma has noted both the adverse effects of HRT and the potentially positive effects of Nutri5® on cognition and is considering whether a clinical trial can be designed to directly compare the two approaches to the treatment of menopausal symptoms.