Attention, chocolate lovers: You may not be able to help yourselves. Swiss and British scientists have linked the widespread love of chocolate to a chemical "signature" that may be programmed into our metabolic systems.
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New Hormone Therapy for Menopause Approved
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THURSDAY, Sept. 29 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Berlex Inc. drug Angeliq (drospirenone and estradiol) as a form of hormone-replacement therapy for moderate-to-severe menopausal symptoms, according to a company statement issued Thursday. The active ingredient drospirenone, already found in the company''s Yasmin oral contraceptive approved in 2001, acts as a mild diuretic, the company said. Berlex said it is studying whether it could help reduce blood pressure in menopausal women with hypertension. The estrogen component is estradiol, the same estrogen produced by the ovaries prior to menopause, the company said. Women with liver, kidney or adrenal disease shouldn''t take Angeliq, and patients on drugs that increase body levels of potassium should ask their doctor before beginning Angeliq, Berlex said. Since 2002, when a major U.S. study found that women taking HRT had a higher incidence of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and breast cancer, doctors have been asked to prescribe drugs containing estrogen at the lowest effective doses and for the shortest duration possible. Estrogen therapy shouldn''t be used by women with undiagnosed abnormal vaginal bleeding or a suspected or known history of breast cancer, Berlex said. To learn more about hormone replacement therapy, visit Medline Plus.
Last Updated: Sept. 29, 2005 |