Doctor sheds light on therapy

By By Steve Gillespie / staff writer
Oct. 25, 2002
Carolyn Russell is more knowledgeable about hormone replacement therapy and osteoporosis after hearing Dr. Ronnye Purvis of Meridian speak Thursday.
Russell, 50, also of Meridian, has been on estrogen for five years.
Russell was one of 60 women who attended a "Lunch &Learn" program on hormone replacement therapy at Jeff Anderson Regional Medical Center. Bone density screenings were also available for participants.
Purvis, an obstetrician and gynecologist, spoke about menopause, its side effects and the benefits and risks associated with hormone replacement therapy. He also answered questions from participants.
The level of estrogen, a female hormone, decreases during menopause.
Hormone replacement therapy is used to relieve symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and depression. It also prevents early menopausal bone loss due to a lack of estrogen something that could lead to osteoporosis.
However, there are health risks associated with estrogen. Purvis said the use of estrogen without the use of progesterone, another hormone, puts patients at risk of having uterine cancer.
He also said there is a small increase in the development of breast cancer among women using the combination of estrogen and a certain type of progesterone for as long as 5.2 years, according to a study by the Women's Health Initiative of the National Institutes of Health.
Purvis said physicians are more carefully evaluating which patients need estrogen.