The drug, called Tibilone, could provide the benefits that current treatments give to post-menopausal women without the risk of causing cancer. Stephen Glasser, lead investigator and professor of epidemiology, said research has found that older women become increasingly susceptible to osteoporosis, or the decline in density of the bones, after menopause.
Women are also at higher risk for cardiovascular difficulties.
Menopause occurs in most women between ages 35 and 60, during which hormone production, ovulation and menstruation slow down and eventually cease. During that time, levels of the female sex hormone estrogen decline in the body. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, claiming almost 500,000 women's lives annually. Conventional treatment entails administering estrogen or a combination of estrogen and another female sex hormone, progesterone. Though believed to be beneficial, patients receiving the treatment experienced higher rates of developing cancer.