submitted by Linda Schoene
The use of hormone therapy during menopause continues to be a confusing topic.
According to a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, a new analysis of data obtained from the government sponsored Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) produced very different findings from the original analysis that caused women to stop hormone therapy. This analysis looked at the timing of hormone therapy. Initial reports indicated that women in the study who used Prempro, a combination of estrogen and progestin, had an overall 24% increase risk of heart attack during the five-year study. When the breakdown is based on age, researchers discovered that women who started taking hormones (Prempro) 20 years or more after reaching menopause had a 71% increased risk. Women who started hormone therapy (Prempro) 10-19 years post-menopause had a 22% increased risk. Looking at women who started hormone use (Prempro) within 10 years of menopause, researchers observed that this group had an 11% lower risk. A look at the estrogen-only portion of the study revealed a similar trend.
So how should women apply this information to their particular situation? First of all, healthy eating, daily exercise and regular health exams remain the best ways to achieve healthy living. Guidelines for the use of hormone therapy remain the same:
1. Hormone therapy is not recommended for prevention of heart disease.
2. The primary role of hormone therapy is for control of bothersome menopausal symptoms.
3. Hormone therapy should be given in the lowest effective dosage for the shortest possible time.
4. Women with a uterus need to take a form of progestin along with estrogen to protect the uterine lining.
5. The North American Menopause Society recently updated its guidelines to include hormone therapy for recently menopausal women without severe symptoms, but at risk for osteoporosis. The WHI showed that hormone therapy can lower a woman’s risk for hip fracture.