Study probes hormone therapy in young women
研究探索激素疗法对年青女性的影响

☆ hormone therapy 激素疗法
 

Researchers investigate benefit to heart
研究者研究该治疗对心脏的益处

Monday, April 19, 2004 Posted: 1821 GMT (0221 HKT)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Researchers hoping to find some benefits from hormone replacement therapy said Sunday they were launching a trial in younger women to see if it protects them from heart disease.
华盛顿----研究者于周日宣称，他们正在青年女性中开展一项激素替代疗法试验，观察该法是否有保护她们免于罹患心脏病，研究者希望青年女性可以从激素替代疗法中获益。

☆ hormone replacement therapy  HRT 激素替代疗法

HRT was once routinely prescribed to women as they reached menopause in the belief it would relieve unpleasant symptoms and protect against heart disease and osteoporosis.
HRT一度被作为女性绝经期(或更年期)的常规用药。据信该疗法可以缓解绝经期不适症状、预防心脏病以及骨质疏松症。

☆ prescribe 处方, 开药
    osteoporosis 骨质疏松症
    menopause 绝经期, 更年期

In July 2002, women taking estrogen and progestin were told to visit their doctors and perhaps stop because of the risk of heart attack, stroke and some forms of cancer. A later study showed HRT may also slightly raise the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
在2002年7月，服用雌激素和黄体酮的妇女被告知立即就诊并可能要停药，因为她们可能面临罹患心脏病发作、中风及一些癌症的危险。稍后的研究也表明，HRT也可能会轻度升高罹患Alzheimer病的危险。

☆ estrogen雌激素
    progestin 黄体酮
    Alzheimer's disease  Alzheimer病，即早老性痴呆，老年性痴呆

And in March the National Institutes of Health stopped a trial of women taking estrogen-only replacement therapy after finding the pills raised the possibility of a stroke.
三月，国家健康研究院在发现雌激素会升高中风可能性后，停止了一项在妇女身上进行的雌激素替代疗法试验。

The trials, part of the Women's Health Initiative, looked at older women and only one form of HRT -- Wyeth Co's Premarin, made from the urine of pregnant mares, or PremPro, which combines Premarin and progestin.

A team led by the Phoenix-based Kronos Longevity Research Institute, a nonprofit organization, said it would look at women who are just beginning to go through menopause.

World Health Initiative participants "were post-menopausal, with a mean age of 62.7, yet most women begin hormone treatment much younger, at the onset of menopausal symptoms," the researchers said.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says many women can still consider taking HRT to reduce the worst symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes and sexual effects. But it advises taking it for the shortest possible time at the lowest dose.