NS LN WS ~ SS Ss Know Your Hormone Replacement Therapy Options (NAPSA)—Plant or animal sources? That’s a question many women don’t even know to ask when discussing hormone replacement therapy CHART) with their doctar. According to a recent surveyof approximately 600 menopausal women, a large percentage of respondents currently taking HRT say they would prefer to take a plant-based product. Yet the most frequently preseribed hormone replacement therapy——Premarin (conjugated estrogens tablets, USP) is derived fromthe urine of pregnant horses. Forty-seven percent of Premarin users said that they were not aware of this. “Physicians prescribe the product they think will be the most effective for that particular patient. With so many products available on the market, both the physician and the patient share the responsibuity to discuss the various options,” said Dr. Robert eurawin, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor College of Medicine. “Among the options that women need to he aware of are plantbased HRT products, such as CENESTIN. CENESTIN is a safe, effective alternative to animalderived hormones.” CENESTIN (synthetic conjugated estrogens, A) is used to control hot flashes, a common symptora of rnencpause, and is the only plant-based, slow-release conju- offs if given a choice, many women would prefer to have hormone replacement therapy from a plant-based source. gated estrogen product available. In addition to being unaware of the derivation of HRT treatments, two thirds of current users say that they were not given a choice of therapies. Further, 82 percent of those who stopped taking HRT say they did not discuss HRToptions with their physicians when they were given a prescription for HRT. And nearly all (1 percent) of those who stopped HRT report that they were not given a choice of therapies. “Physicians must understand that many women, especially older patients, do not think it is appropriate to question their doctors. Therefore, it is imperative that physicians make an effort to initiate discussions about various ERT options,” said Dr. Zurawin.
