Somewhere between 20-50% of women in the United States between the ages of 45 and 70 have taken or are currently taking Hormone Replacement Therapy drugs. They've been prescribed in the past to every woman who experienced unpleasant symptoms of menopause. Women were even told that the drugs were expected to decrease certain health risks such as heart disease, breast and colon cancer and osteoporosis. However, a 2002 study performed by the Women's Heath Initiative (WHI) revealed just the opposite. Letters were sent to study participants urging them to stop taking the drugs because they increased the risk of strokes, heart disease and breast cancer. The eight year publicly funded study was initially intended to study the BENEFITS of HRT drugs, but the shocking findings caused the it to be halted after only five years. The following descriptions outline the risks associated with each of Wyeth's HRT drugs.

Prempro

Prempro (Generic: Conjugated estrogens/Medroxyprogesterone acetate tablets) is a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) used to treat symptoms of menopause.

Use of Prempro has been linked to serious side effects including the following:

	Breast Cancer
	Lupus
	Pulmonary Embolism
	Ovarian Cancer
	Gallbladder Cancer
	Scleroderma
	Blood clots
	Severe Asthma
	Stroke

In 2001, approximately 22.3 million prescriptions were written for Prempro to treat post-menopausal hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. But a recent major study concludes that long-term use of Prempro is dangerous and significantly increases the risk of the above-mentioned adverse effects. These results were found in the nation's biggest hormone replacement study and were so alarming that the National Institute of Health (NIH) prematurely canceled the study, citing risk to the study's participants. The study is suggesting that many of the women who use Prempro and other estrogen and progestin combinations should quit and talk to their doctors about alternatives.

The evidence is clear that Prempro and other estrogen progestin combinations can actually harm perfectly healthy women. The study determined that women who were given Prempro were more likely to develop serious problems compared to those in the placebo group. The statistics of side effects are alarming:

	26% increase in breast cancer
	41% increase in strokes
	100% increase in blood clots
	22% increase in incidents of cardiovascular disease

Premarin

Premarin (Generic: Conjugated estrogens) is an estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy (HRT) used to treat the symptoms of menopause. Premarin is typically prescribed for women without a uterus and has been linked to the following serious side effects:

	Ovarian Cancer
	Lupus
	Scleroderma
	Gallbladder
	Cancer
	Stroke

Recently, the National Institutes of Health stopped a trial of women taking Premarin estrogen replacement therapy after finding the pills not only failed to reduce the risk of heart disease, but that they raised the possibility of a stroke. The Premarin trial was the second large trial of hormone replacement therapy to have been halted in two years. In July 2002, women taking Prempro (estrogen and progestin) were told to stop because of the risk of heart attack, stroke and some forms of cancer.

In a report published in the Journal of American Medical Association, doctors report that women who take estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy such as Premarin for a long period of time have a higher-than-average risk of developing ovarian cancer. Women who took estrogen HRT's like Premarin for longer periods of time had a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer, and the researchers noted a 7% increase in risk associated with every extra year of estrogen HRT use. Those who took estrogen for at least 10 years were twice as likely to develop ovarian cancer, and those who used the drugs for 20 or more years were three times as likely to develop ovarian cancer as those who did not take the hormone, the report indicates.

Premarin was the first hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drug to hit the market. Premarin was first marketed in 1942 to alleviate the symptoms of menopause in women.

Today, Premarin is still the most popular HRT drug, and is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world. There are approximately 11 million women who currently take Premarin. The popularity of this drug is due both to its extensive history and an aggressive marketing campaign by Wyeth.

Premphase

Premphase (Generic: Conjugated estrogens and Medroxyprogesterone acetate) is a hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prescribed for menopause symptoms and has been linked to the following harmful side effects:

	Dementia
	Alzheimer's
	Stroke
	Blood clots
	Pulmonary Embolisms
	Lupus
	Breast Cancer

Approximately 6 million women are taking Prempro to treat post-menopausal hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. However, a recent major study concludes that long-term use of Prempro is dangerous and significantly increases the above-mentioned risks. These results were discovered in the nation's biggest hormone replacement study and were so alarming that the National Institute of Health (NIH) prematurely canceled the study, citing risk to the study's participants. As a result, the study is suggesting that many of the women who use Prempro and other estrogen and progestin combinations should quit taking the medications and talk to their doctors about alternatives.

The evidence is clear that Prempro and other estrogen progestin combinations can harm perfectly healthy women. Women taking Prempro have a 29% higher risk of heart attack, 41% higher risk of stroke and a 26% higher risk of breast cancer. Another study released on May 27, 2003 about the health risks of hormone replacement therapy concluded that the medications can double the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Premphase, Premarin and Prempro are manufactured by Wyeth and accounted for about $890 million of the company's $13.9 billion in sales in 2001.

If you have taken Premphase, Premarin or Prempro and have suffered any of these problems, contact us today!

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