- in guest/interview , health by julie
The estrogen window | Mache Seibel
Dr. Mache Seibel is a leading expert on women’s wellness, estrogen, and menopause. He is also the editor of My Menopause Magazine, creator of mymenopause.com, and the author of The Estrogen Window.
Dr. Seibel explains that many once thought that having too much estrogen could lead to breast cancer. This was actually the result of a misguided study from 2002 called the Women’s Health Initiative. Though this was supposed to be an age-matched, controlled study, that was not the case, which led to inaccurate information being produced and disseminated.
Since then, other studies have refuted these findings by showing a 23% lower risk of breast cancer and heart disease, and a 25% lower risk of dementia in those who take estrogen. For those who enter menopause early and don’t take estrogen, they have shown to have a 70% increased risk of dementia. Lowering the risk of osteoporosis is another benefit.
Dr. Seibel explains that the benefits of taking estrogen are evident when estrogen is taken at the proper time or during the estrogen window. This is a window of opportunity where women can optimize their treatment, which begins with the onset of menopause. After all, the timing of menopause among women is quite varied. Five to 10% of women go into menopause before age 45, though the mean age is 51. However, symptoms can start up to a decade before menopause begins.
When women begin taking estrogen at the time of menopause, they can lower the risk of chronic illnesses and see the potential for the greatest benefit. To see where you are in menopause, take a quiz at www.menopausequiz.com. You can also get great feedback and tips at this site. To connect with Dr. Mache Seibel, visit his website at www.drmache.com or learn more about The Estrogen Window at http://www.estrogenwindowbook.com/.
