MARCH 10 2018 LISTENER
WINE
Why vegan-friendly
wines are becoming
more sought after
and easier to find42
PSYCHOLOGY
How people’s views
are being affected
by the websites
they’re directed to43
TECHNOLOGY
The self-balancing
Segway scooter is
reborn in a much
cheaper form45
Journal of Australia last month found that the use
of hormone-releasing IUDs to treat heavy bleed-
ing has almost doubled in Australia in the past five
years. Earlier US research found that the IUDs were
more effective at treating heavy periods than the
oral contraceptive pill and non-hormonal medica-
tions that help stop bleeding.
It’s also possible to treat heavy menstrual bleed-
ing using endometrial ablation, which involves
using heat to remove the lining of the uterus.
“It’s not so commonly used, but it is definitely an
option,” says Farquhar.
There have also been advances in the surgery
used to treat women with prolapse without remov-
ing the uterus. However, finding non-surgical
methods to treat fibroids, which cause problems
for many women until they reach menopause, is
proving more difficult. The fibroids can be removed
laparoscopically, but this can weaken
the uterine wall, which may cause
problems in subsequent pregnan-
cies. Taking the contraceptive pill
or having hormone injections can
shrink fibroids. So can injecting
them with a special fluid to block
the blood flow – a procedure called
embolisation.
But the fibroids often grow back
and some women end up needing a
hysterectomy.
“Fibroids are probably the one
thing we’ve had difficulty getting
traction on. Embolisation is not the
final answer for many women, but itcan give them some time so they can
have children.”
Women who have finished having
children or who are approaching
menopause may feel they can get by
without their uterus. However, there’s
growing evidence that hysterectomies
can cause long-term health prob-
lems – even when, as is most often
the case, the ovaries are not removed
and continue producing vital female
hormones. These problems include
early menopause, heart disease, high
blood pressure and obesity. Research
published in the journal Menopause
in January found that the risks are
greatest for those who have a hyster-
ectomy under the age of 35.
The surgery itself can also cause
complications. “It’s a major operation
that involves securing large blood
vessels,” says Farquhar. “There’s
potential for harm at the time of
the surgery and it usually requires a
recovery period of up to six weeks,
so it’s good that we can offer other
options.” lHEAVY ON THE HEART
Being overweight or obese is
known to increase the risk of
heart disease, but new American
research suggests the longer a
person spends being overweight
or obese, the more likely they
are to have heart damage. A
study of more than 9000 people
found that those with a longer
history of heaviness were more
likely to test positive for a chemi-
cal marker of so-called “silent”
heart damage than those with a
shorter history.STARTING YOUNG
Tackling young people’s health
problems, such as mental
health, obesity, poor nutrition
and substance abuse, is vital for
the protection of their future
children’s health, say Australian
researchers. An article published
in Nature says young men and
women can carry lifestyle and
health risks into pregnancy
and that tackling these issues is
particularly important as today’s
adolescents will be the largest
generation in history to become
parents.BOOZE-DEMENTIA LINK
Heavy drinking is the biggest
preventable risk factor for early-
onset dementia, according to
a study published in the Lancet
Public Health. Researchers found
that 57% of people who devel-
oped dementia before the age of
65 were chronic heavy drinkers.
Chronic heavy drinking is defined
as having four to five standard
drinks a day for men and three
standard drinks
for women. The
study was based
on the records
of more than a
million French
people with
dementia.There’s growing
evidence that
hysterectomies can
cause long-term
health problems.
GETTY IMAGESHEALTH BRIEFS