“2016 UPDATE ON MENOPAUSE”
ANDREW M. KAUNITZ, MD (JULY 2016)
Menopause and hormone therapy
As a long-term believer (proven!) of the value of the old comment, “estrogen forever,” I was pleased to see all the positive comments about estrogen in Dr. Kaunitz’s article. I was disappointed, however, in the comments in the box (page 39), “What this evidence means for practice.”
While my prejudice, statistically supported, is old fashioned, omission of the newer and marvelous way to counteract the only bad effects of estrogen (endometrial stimulation leading to endometrial adenocarcinoma) seems to be a major oversight. The new and least (if any) side-effect method means a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LNG-IUD) yielding local progesterone counteraction to this major side effect of estrogen therapy.
Arthur A. Fleisher II, MD
Northridge, California
Dr. Kaunitz responds
I thank Dr. Fleisher for his interest in my 2016 Update on Menopause. I agree that off-label use of the LNG-IUD represents an appropriate alternative to systemic progestin when using estrogen to treat menopausal symptoms in women with an intact uterus.
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