Download The Affect Common Chemicals May Have on Women`s Hormone

The Affect Common Chemicals
May Have on Women’s Hormone
Therapy
Presented By: Sean Snowden
What Is Hormone Therapy?
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Provides women with the hormones that
decrease with age
ERT vs. HRT
Estrogen and progesterone
During menopause these hormone levels start
to fluctuate, causing some uncomfortable
symptoms
Hormone therapy is used to combat these
symptoms and make the transition into
menopause easier
The Benefits of Hormone Therapy
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Hormone therapy is used to relieve shortterm symptoms
Preliminary evidence shows that HRT may be
helpful in preventing colon cancer, and
macular degeneration
Hormone therapy can help slow bone loss
after menopause
The Detriments of Hormone
Therapy
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Long-term risks
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Cancer- endometrial, breast, and ovarian
 Estrogen taken alone raises the risk of
endometrial cancer so progestin is added to
combat this risk
 Breast and ovarian cancer
Heart disease
 Recent studies have shown that hormone
therapy could increase women’s risk of heart
disease, stroke, and pulmonary embolism
The Detriments of Hormone
Therapy (Continued)
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Short-term side effects
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Side effects include vaginal discharge and
bleeding, headaches, nausea, and fluid retention
Short-term benefits or side-effects become
apparent within weeks or months after treatment
begins
Cost to Benefit Analysis
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For patient to decide
Patient history taken into account
Obviously involves weighing the benefit of the
relief that hormone therapy provides with the
risks that are associated to it
There are natural alternatives available
So why is hormone therapy still used in spite
of the risks of cancer and heart disease?
The Study – Duke University
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Donald P. MCDonnell – Duke University
Research team led by Donald
P. McDonnell
Team examined and found
certain everyday chemicals
that caused the levels of
estrogen in the body to reach
hazardous levels
Study was based on cultured
human cells and mice
The Chemical in Question
Research Findings
Future goal: identify other
chemicals with the same effect
and prompt caution for
patients
The Effects of Estrogen Overdose
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Estrogen produces effects inside cells in a very tightly controlled
manner, so skewing that process by accelerating transcription
can produce a variety of problems
Estrogen overdose is poisoning from exposure to more than the
recommended amount of estrogen hormones in medications
May be administered orally, injected, or absorbed into the skin
Excessive vaginal bleeding, fluid retention, breast tenderness,
discoloration of urine, rash, nausea and vomiting, headache,
drowsiness, mental changes
Discontinue the estrogen, the poisoning is unlikely to be life
threatening
Serious symptoms are very unlikely
The Solution
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Patient Awareness
Patient Screening
A decrease in exposure, by removing the
chemicals that cause this damage or
developing new chemical that is not as
harmful
The End
Thank You, I Hope You Enjoyed
Back to: The Study – Duke University
The Chemical in Question
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Ethylene glycol methyl ether
is used as a solvent
types
Valproicfor
acid
is found in drugs Ethylene Glycol
of resins, agricultural
that are used to treat migraines
Monomethyl Ether
and headaches
formulation, lacquers,
paints which is a
(EGME)
and varnishes. Itcommon
is usedside
in effect of the
hormone therapy, this leads to a
cleaning products,
dangerous drug-drug
preservatives,potentially
fixative for
Molecular formula:
interaction
perfumes, germicides,
C3H8O2
bactericides, insect
repellents and antiseptic. It
is used as an additive for jet
fuel to prevent ice buildup.
Valproic acid is used among
the top 100 drugs prescribed
in the united states *
Research Findings
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McDonnell and his research team suggest that for
some women part of their complications with HT
prior to the research conducted is attributed to the
findings of the research
It was found that both of the chemicals significantly
increased the action of hormones in the body
Boost of activity was eight- to ten-fold
McDonnell focused his study on two similar chemicals
that were known to affect the reproductive system
Back to: The Study – Duke University
Research Findings (Continued)
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It was feared that these chemicals were mimicking
estrogen and that it was causing illnesses
What was found was not that the chemicals mimic
estrogen, but rather they sensitized the cell to it by
inhibiting enzymes inside cells that normally slow the
process of gene transcription
The result is to speed up cell activity, which
potentially can fuel cell growth beyond what is
normal