Science stuff: HrT, herbals and more

your free weekly roundup of hopefully helpful things

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SLEEP + INSULIN RESISTANCE: When we think of insulin resistance, sugar and carbs leap to mind. But other factors are drivers too, including stress and lack of sleep. According to a small study published in Diabetes Care Journal, a group of 38 women ages 25 to 75 who slept an average of 6.2 hours per night experienced impaired insulin sensitivity – independent of their body fat percentage. Researchers said the impact was more pronounced on the 11 women in the group who were post-menopausal, and who were more prone to sleep issues.

HrT: I had one thought when I saw this article in the December issue of Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society of North America: 'Tis but a scratch: a critical review of the Women's Health Initiative evidence associating menopausal hormone therapy with the risk of breast cancer. I’m not sure about using a Monty Python reference to minimize the risk of breast cancer from taking combined hormone therapy (that’s estroge…