The Hormone Decision [Hardcover]

Tara Parker-Pope (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 9, 2007

It's the most pressing question on the minds of women at any stage of the menopausal transition: "Should I or shouldn't I take menopause hormones?" The answer is far from crystal clear. Hormone drugs are the most effective therapy for easing hot flashes and other common menopause symptoms. But their long-term effects have been the focus of intense scrutiny and debate. As the weekly consumer health columnist for the Wall Street Journal, Tara Parker-Pope has been an eyewitness to the growing controversy surrounding hormone therapy. Her understanding of menopause research, and her access to the experts behind it, has given her unique insight into the complex issues surrounding hormone use. In  The Hormone Decision, Parker-Pope explores the scientific, political and social forces that have shaped current thinking on hormone therapy. And she takes you on a head to toe tour of how hormones affect every part of your body, including your brain, your breasts, your heart, your bones, your vagina, and even your skin. As you will discover, hormone therapy is not one-size-fits-all. It's as individual as your health status, family history and menopause experience. When you start hormone therapy and how long you use it are major factors in determining its health effects. While it may raise certain risks for some women, it actually may be protective for others. This is why you need an independent, objective resource like The Hormone Decision. It provides the context for you to understand the research, ask intelligent questions, and ultimately choose whether or not hormone therapy is right for you.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From More Magazine: "In The Hormone Decision, Wall Street Journal columnist Tara Parker-Pope uses her award-winning reporting on hormone replacement therapy to clarify the treatment's risks and benefits. Both, she argues, have been misrepresented by scientists and the media. Like the author of classic women's health books before her, Parker-Pope trusts that smart women, armed with the facts, can make good decisions for themselves."

 

"All women will ultimately pass through the menopause transition. Many will be faced with the dilemma of whether to take some form of hormonal therapy. The frightening or confusing messages presented by much of the media do not help, and there are few reliable sources on the internet that are not associated with selling a silver bullet. Fortunately, award winning journalist Tara Parker-Pope has come to the rescue. There is no other book as detailed, accurate and reliable as this, and she has conferred with the best research brains in the area of menopausal hormone therapy to make life easier for women as they traverse the menopause. Beyond that this enlightening book, which belongs on the shelves of both providers and consumers of health care, is a really good read!"--Wulf H. Utian, M.D., PhD., Executive director, The North American Menopause Society

"The Hormone Decision arrives just in time to help the millions of women entering perimenopause choose how to navigate the often stormy waters of their body’s transitional years. Tara Parker-Pope gives the gift of easy, accessible information to women eager to learn how to make the right choice for optimal mental and physical wellness." -- Pam Peeke MD, MPH, FACP, Author of the New York Times bestseller Body for Life for Women

"Tara Parker-Pope is well known for the balanced and clear prospective that she brings to the topic of menopause in her Wall Street Journal articles. This book similarly provides a comprehensive and accurate explanation of the subject. Tara has summarized and accurately interpreted a massive body of scientific literature on hormone therapy, distilling it into an enjoyable and understandable manuscript. It is essential reading for any woman entering the menopause. I recommend it to all of my menopausal patients." -- Hugh S. Taylor, M.D., Associate Professor, Director Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Yale University School of Medicine

"A smart woman's guide to the medical minefield of menopause, writtin in Tara Parker- Pope's straight-talk, no-spin style. At last, the truth that women have been waiting for!" --Mary Lou Quinlan, Author and CEO, Just Ask a Woman

About the Author

Tara Parker-Pope has been a professional reporter for 20 years, currently serving as the weekly consumer health columnist for the Wall Street Journal. Her weekly Health Journal and Health Mailbox columns appear every Tuesday in the Wall Street Journal. Her special report on the findings of the Women's Health Initiative earned her the media award from the North American Menopause Society as well as the Second Century Award for Excellence in Health Care from the Columbia University School of Nursing. She is also the author of Cigarettes: Anatomy of an Industry from Seed to Smoke. A 1988 graduate of the University of Texas, she resides in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; 1 edition (January 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594864209
• ISBN-13: 978-1594864209
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,875,872 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tara Parker-Pope, who writes the "Well" blog for The New York Times, is one of the newspaper's most popular and most e-mailed journalists. She appears regularly on radio and television, including Today, Good Morning America, and CNN. Parker-Pope lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Finally - a balanced, educated view on HRT, February 18, 2007

By 

James B. Bray (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Hormone Decision (Hardcover)

Ever since '02, women have been avoiding HRT due to the exaggerated negative reporting in our media. As a gynecologist since 1977, I have always found that my patients who are taking replacement hormones are healthier, happier, and more youthful - with minimal dangerous side effects. What we now need is a double-blind, control study with younger (50-55) post-menopausal women. The explanation of how the WHI was conceived explains it all... Good reporting!!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended, March 10, 2007

By 

M. McMann "freelance writer" (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hormone Decision (Hardcover)

This book was recommended to a group of opinion leaders in gynecology by one of the recognized top gynecologists in the country. You can't go wrong with this objective explanation of what went wrong with the design of the Women's Health Initiative and the publication of its results.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but with a few reservations, October 5, 2007

By 

LangMat "Historian, Medical Writer" (Watsonville, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Hormone Decision (Hardcover)

I've been frustrated by the way the HRT issue has been handled, both by the media and the medical profession. The Hormone Decision is a pretty good treatment of how that happened. Now for the reservations: no good discussion of what "statistically significant" means; and insistence that a study that had, in my opinion, some deep ethical concerns from the outset, has told us a lot about the way hormones act in the post-menopausal female.