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WELCOME TO 2003
Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them
with your hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert
of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them,
you reach your destiny. - Carl Schurz Who needs resolutions?
OUR FAVORITE WOMAN OF THE YEAR, 2002
There are many deserving women who get recognized for their
work, but there is one that we feel deserves a bit more adulation
than she's received - her name is Deborah Grady, MD, M.P.H.
Dr. Grady is a woman who has been intricately involved in
the Women's Health Initiative study and has spoken out strongly
in defense of its results. What a tough job - not only is
she on the front lines of the pharmaceutical companies but
also addressing physician conferences filled with many angry
doctors. Grady's unflinching castigation of the medical community
and their long term use of HRT has given many women the information
they needed to get off of HRT for good. She's been clear,
concise and repeatedly on point. She is just what we women
need and we hope she receives the very big honor she's earned.
She is emphatic in her belief that women are at risk on HRT.
So who should take Prempro? Grady answered, "Nobody.
We don't need to go around trying to figure out which women
are going to benefit from it, because they are unlikely to
be any." Recently, Grady evaluated the numbers from the
halted Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study and believes
that out of the 10 million women now taking some form of estrogen
and progestin, some 20,000 will experience negative health
affects from taking these drugs each year. Grady is an internist
and epidemiologist at the University of California at San
Francisco. dgrady@itsa.ucsf.edu. Deborah Grady, MD, M.P.H.,
Research Director, Women's Health Clinical Research Center
at UCSF.
FOR THOSE WHO WONDER HOW TO GET OFF HRT:
Many of us women look to Susan Love, MD not only for her research
but for her honest and open advice. Click here for her suggestions
about how to get off HRT.
http://www.susanlovemd.com
MORE GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS IN OONA
A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine
(November 19th issue) found that in the studies to date only
the herb black cohosh and soy derived from food to provide
benefit in relieving hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.
(chaste tree berry was not included) Researchers at Columbia
University and George Washington University examined the results
of 29 independent studies on alternative treatments for hot
flashes and found that only the herb black cohosh appeared
to work. Other popular herbal treatments, including ginseng,
red clover, dong quai and oil of evening primrose, were found
to have no discernible effect on such symptoms as hot flashes,
vaginal dryness, sleeplessness and other ills blamed on menopause.
Researchers said studies have also found few documented benefits
from acupuncture, vitamin E, relaxation techniques and progesterone
creams.
The researchers noted that long term data is lacking for many
of these herbal remedies. This will be important, as many
clinicians have voiced the concern about the long term use
of these products. See http://www.annals.org/issues/v137n10/abs/200211190-00009.html
for an abstract or email us for a copy of the full article.
We hope your New Year is off to a great
start. Please let us know if there is any way we can be of
service to you and we are certainly open to your ideas and
feedback. And remember, be an advocate for yourself and your
family's health in 2003. (call/write to your politicians,
it does make a difference) We all have so much to live for.
QUOTE OF THE MONTH
"Oona has been a miracle cure. All three women in
my house use it and we're no longer monsters! I would drive
more than an hour to the closest health food store just to
get it." — Laurie, South Lake Tahoe, CA.
That's it for this month! As always,
check out our website for lots more information at www.oonahealth.com. In Good Health,
The Oöna Team
Questions or comments? Write valerie@oonahealth.com
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