|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Senior Citizens & Sex
Sexual Interest Jumps, Memory Does Not for Older
Women on Hormone Therapy
Boomer women see 32% increase in sexual thoughts,
44% in sexual interest
 Sept. 26, 2007 - A researcher that earlier found
additional testosterone decreases verbal memory in older men, has now
also determined that hormone therapy in early post-menopause does not
improve memory for women. But, it did significantly increase the sexual
thoughts and sexual interest for the baby boomer women in the study.
Women treated with hormone therapy reported a 32
percent increase in sexual thoughts and a 44 percent increase in sexual
interest when compared to women taking placebo, according to the
researchers.
| |
Related Stories |
|
| |
Older
Men Chasing Younger Women Sheds Light on Human Longevity
Males much older than 50 have substantial
realized fertility through matings with younger females - likely
typical among early humans
By Lisa Trei, Sanford News Services
Sept. 14, 2007
Sex Declines Only Slightly for Active Senior
Citizens from Age 50 into 70s
Many senior citizens have active sex lives into
their 80s
Aug. 23, 2007
Senior Citizens Out of Step with Children on Sex,
Marriage, Parenting
Younger generation has different moral values, says
Pew Research
July 5, 2007
New Harvard Medical Report on Sex and Aging Finds
Viagra Can Create Problems
When intercourse is suddenly a possibility again,
relationship issues can emerge
May 1, 2007
Nine Health Issues That Can Impact Sexual
Satisfaction
Geriatrics Center at U. of Michigan provides 'Sex
Matters Clinic'
Feb. 5, 2007
Read the latest
news
on
Senior Citizens & Sex |
|
Earlier studies have suggested a possible
improvement in verbal memory among older people receiving testosterone
or hormone therapy. The findings of this new study were published Sept.
25 in the journal Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy
of Neurology.
"Contrary to what we predicted, hormone therapy did
not have a positive affect on memory performance in younger mid-life
women," said Pauline Maki, associate professor of psychiatry and
psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who led the study.
"If women want to improve hot flashes and night
sweats -- the primary reason most women seek menopausal relief -- and
they want to improve their sexual focus and interest, then this may be a
formulation for them."
Maki and her colleagues enrolled 180 women between
the ages of 45 and 55 whose last menstrual cycle was in the past one to
three years. The women were randomly assigned to receive either a
placebo or a combination of estrogen and progesterone, also known as
Prempro, for four months.
The study evaluated memory, attention, cognitive
function, emotional status, sexuality and sleep.
No significant changes in cognitive function were
identified in the newly menopausal women taking hormone therapy compared
to the placebo group.
These results are similar to previous studies
suggesting hormone therapy has minimal effect on a womans memory when
taken many years after menopause, said Maki.
While our results are inconsistent with smaller
studies that found improvement in verbal memory for women who only used
estrogen, it may be that progesterone modifies the protective effects of
estrogen on verbal memory.
The study also found that women with vasomotor
symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, showed a reduction in
symptoms and an improvement in overall quality-of-life when taking
hormone therapy versus placebo.
The study, which is the largest randomized trial to
date examining hormone therapy and memory in midlife women, was stopped
early due to declining enrollment that coincided with results of the
Women's Health Initiative, which found that the associated health risks
of the therapy outweighed the benefits.
The study was funded by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.
With colleagues at UIC, Maki is also investigating
whether botanical therapy, such as black cohosh and red clover, might
offer cognitive benefits for mid-life women.
For more information about UIC, visit
www.uic.edu
The American Academy of Neurology, an association
of more than 20,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is
dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A
neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing,
treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as
stroke, Alzheimers disease, epilepsy, Parkinsons disease, and multiple
sclerosis.
For more information about the American Academy of
Neurology, visit
http://www.aan.com.
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
