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Women's Health
Microalbuminuria: Research Every Woman Should Know About
A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine could have implications for women all over the world.
In this original research, scientists in the Netherlands found significant evidence that both birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy increase a woman's risk of developing a condition called microalbuminuria.
People with this condition have increased levels of protein in their urine, which is an early marker for kidney disease. And a recent Canadian study published in JAMA concluded that microalbuminuria was a risk factor for heart disease, based on its analysis of more than 9,000 people age 55 and older.
The study included 4,301 Dutch women. After adjusting for a whole host of confounding factors (like age, hypertension, obesity, and smoking), the women who had taken the Pill or HRT in the past year had nearly twice the risk of high urine protein levels than did non-users. Some of the HRT users took straight oestrogen, while others took pills combining oestrogen and progestin - the one at the heart of the HRT controversy.
In all cases, the risk of developing protein in the urine rose with years of medication use; in fact, they found that women who had taken either type of medication for more than five years had more than two and a half times the risk of non-users.
Worrying statistics
I can think of dozens of women I know who have taken either birth control pills or HRT (or both) for more than five years, some for decades. I'm sure you can, too. Worldwide, the numbers must reach well into the hundreds of thousands - maybe even into the millions. Even if only half of them develop this condition, it's a serious thing.
Granted, this is just one study, and the research team didn't follow the women long enough to see how many of them actually developed kidney or heart disease - or whether protein levels dropped after discontinuing use. But other studies have produced evidence that supplemental oestrogen can increase the risk of heart disease, as well as breast cancer and other diseases.
At the very least, it is one more check in the 'Con' column when deciding whether or not to take HRT.
But if you're looking for a way to address the changes we experience during menopause there are some alternatives that you can easily find at any local health food store or online supplement retailer right now.
Herbal supplements like black cohosh, dong quai, chaste tree berry, and evening primrose have been used safely for centuries. These natural approaches can help normalise hormone levels, diminish hot flushes, and relieve the insomnia and anxiety that many women experience.
Nutritional supplements like bioflavonoids, vitamin E, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6, and magnesium can help reduce heavy bleeding during peri-menopause, minimise hot flushes, increase energy, and relieve fatigue. There may be other options available to you as well; talk to your doctor about what else might work in your situation.
The study doesn't provide a recommendation for anything women who fall into the over-five-years category can do to mitigate their risk. We'll continue researching it and will ask our panel for possible treatment options. But if you're concerned, ask your doctor to analyse your urine-protein level. It can't hurt, and it might help you recognise a serious threat to your health.
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