Just Thinking.... No HRT = More Type 2?

Type 2 is on the increase. Today many women and their doctors avoid HRT. Just wondering if this could be a factor. Certainly HRT seemed to help women to prevent weight gain but unfortunately they seemed to be more prone to cancer in their later years. Personally I’d take diabetes over cancer…still, I wonder.

I don’t think there were ever any studies one way or the other. And I don’t know for sure whether HRT helped prevent weight gain, either – at least, I’ve never heard of that one before.

Many women develop Type 2 well before menopause, although I think the highest incidence is in their 60’s, which is usually well after menopause. So I really don’t see where the connection would be, although I would be very curious if anyone had any hard facts about it!

Saw a trend in the family… don’t know any Type 2 's who took HRT. My mom did and she never had problems with blood sugar. Breast cancer was her problem. :frowning: So I was wondering how many Type 2’s took Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Peetie, although the particular issue you mention is a women-related issue, I agree that I would choose diabetes over cancer if I had such a choice. Diabetes is manageable. OTOH, cancer is much more difficult to manage.

Many, many studies show that there is indeed a direct correlation between weight gain and T2 diabetes. Therefore, I believe the answer is that if one is presented with any sort of therapy that carries with it the side effect of unhealthy weight gain, one must find a way to counter the trend to gaining more weight, probably through additional diet and exercise.

I wouldn’t use HRT, but have many friends who do (none are diabetic). They’ve actually gained weight. One had a double mastectomy. Her gyn didn’t test & she had genetic markers for breast cancer. Doubting how many doctors actually test before giving out hormone pills. Just an aside, but it’s sad that natural stages of women’s lives are considered medical conditions to be treated.

Well, HRT for women has really flip flopped. Evidence from the Nurses Health Study suggested an association of HRT with heart disease rates. Based on this association our beloved medical scientists leapt the to the conclusion that there was a causal relationship and it became public health policy. But, oops, it turns out to be more complicated than that and HRT is not a magic elixir. Take a look at Gary Taubes take on HRT.

As a Type 1, and having had a hysterectomy at age 26 - thanks Dalkon Shield! (am now 62), I did take Premarin from that time, until I stopped it about 5 years ago. No breast cancer here - thankfully. Having said that, I did have a very small basal cell carcinoma, in the middle of my forehead, two years prior to taking Premarin. No reoccurances of it, since the time of surgery for the basal cell.



I also had no weight gain. Maybe it is different for T1’s? Maybe having had a hysterectomy makes a difference? Who really knows?


Just read BSC’s post in relation to heart disease & HRT. I’ve had mitral valve regurgitation since age 7, due to Rheumatic Fever.

I don’t see how they will be able to connect all the dots of eveything, without a lot more research, if even then.

Trisha

And then you have to remember that the dots may just be random coincidences, and not connectable at all. Studies are just statistics, and I think it was Mark Twain (?) who said “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

A friend of mine’s mother died last year of lung cancer, NEVER having smoked or lived with a smoker. If you’re the unlucky one, then the risk is 100%.

So I think Taubes put it nicely: be skeptical. You have to do the best you can with the information you’ve got, but always keep in mind that what sounds convincing may be dead wrong. The only thing I can say to us PWD’s is TAKE YOUR INSULIN – I really don’t think that one’s wrong, LOL!

Thanks everyone. The link was really interesting bsc. I guess we will never really know.