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Exercise Eases Menopause Symptoms
March 24, 2006 -- It's never too late for women to reap the benefits from starting a regular exercise program, according to a new study that shows exercise can relieve the symptoms of menopause and improve quality of life.
Researchers found menopausal women aged 55-72 who started a yearlong exercise program experienced significant improvement in both mental and physical health while those who didn't exercise got worse.
"The group that improved took part in three hours of fully supervised exercise a week for 12 months," says researcher Carmen Villaverde-Gutierrez, professor of nursing at the University of Granada in Spain, in a news release. "As well as monitoring severe symptoms, we also looked at the women's quality of life and found that the average scores for the exercise group improved while those for the control group decreased."
The results appear in the Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Exercise Relieves Symptoms
In the study, researchers examined the effects of an exercise program consisting of cardiovascular, stretching, muscle strengthening, and relaxation exercises in 48 menopausal women. Half of the women participated in the 12-month exercise program and the other half did not.
At the start of the study, 50% of the women in the exercise group and about 58% of nonexercisers had severe menopausal symptoms. By the end of the study, the percentage of women with severe menopausal symptoms dropped to 37% among the exercise group and rose to over 66% among the others.
The exercise group also improved on measures of physical and psychological functioning and positive state of mind, while the nonexercisers declined in these areas.
"Joining the regular exercise programme improved the women's health and also gave them the chance to join a sociable group activity and reduce feelings of loneliness," says Villaverde-Gutierrez in a news release. "Our findings suggest that regular exercise programmes can help to alleviate some of the physical symptoms associated with the menopause and improve women's health and quality of life."
"We would like to see exercise programmes offered as an integral part of primary healthcare for menopausal women. At the very least, women going through the menopause should be encouraged to join a local exercise group suitable for their age and health so that they can share the benefits experienced by the women in our study," says Villaverde-Gutierrez.
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VIVELLE-DOT (estradiol transdermal system) IS AVAILABLE BY PRESCRPTION ONLY.
INDICATION
Vivelle-Dot is used after menopause to: reduce moderate to severe hot flashes; treat moderate to severe dryness, itching and burning in or around the vagina; help reduce your chances of getting osteoporosis (thin weak bones); and treat certain conditions in which a young woman's ovaries do not produce enough estrogens naturally. Vivelle-Dot 0.025 mg/day is only used to prevent osteoporosis from menopause. If you use Vivelle-Dot only to treat your dryness, itching, and burning in and around your vagina or if you use Vivelle-Dot only to prevent osteoporosis from menopause, talk with your healthcare professional about whether a different treatment or medicine without estrogens might be better for you.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Estrogens increase the chances of getting cancer of the uterus (womb). Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are taking estrogens. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb).
Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes. Using estrogens with or without progestins may increase your chances of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens with progestins may increase your risk of dementia (decline in memory and thinking skills).
Vivelle-Dot should not be used if you have unusual vaginal bleeding; currently have or have had certain cancers, including cancer of the breast or uterus; had a stroke or heart attack in the recent past (for example, in the past year); currently have or have had blood clots; currently have or have had liver problems; or think you may be, or know that you are, pregnant.
The most common side effects that may occur with Vivelle-Dot are headache, breast tenderness, and back pain.
You and your healthcare professional should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with Vivelle-Dot.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Please see Full Prescribing Information for Vivelle-Dot.
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