Risks associated with taking hormone replacement therapy

Meanwhile back at rancho pharmaceutical…

Over the past couple of years I’ve told you about several major studies that have been shut down in order to protect the health of study subjects who were taking either estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progestin to address symptoms of menopause. These two variations on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have been found to create increased risks for several health problems, including:

* Heart disease
* Breast cancer
* Dementia and Alzheimer’s disease
* Asthma
* Impaired hearing

Last month, a new study expanded that list, while another study confirmed a previous finding.

Study number one appeared in the journal Circulation. A group of 321 postmenopausal women with atherosclerosis received estrogen, estrogen plus progestin or a placebo for periods ranging from about two years to three years. At the outset of the study, 140 subjects were diagnosed with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.

Angiograms before and after the study period revealed that women with abnormal glucose tolerance who received HRT had a higher risk of heart disease than those who didn’t take medication.

The lead researcher of the study told Reuters Health that “People once thought that hormone therapy could prevent heart disease in women.” And why did “people” think that? Because the early promoters of HRT told them to think that, even though these drugs had not yet been thoroughly tested.

People were also once told that HRT might help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. But in 2003 a study revealed a link between HRT use and increased risk of dementia. Last month that result was confirmed in research that examined the effects of estrogen or placebo on 3,000 women. In a second group in the same study, 4,500 women received either placebo or estrogen combined with progestin. The result: Women who took either type of HRT had a 76 percent higher risk of developing dementia compared to women who took a placebo.

After all the negative results we’ve seen from HRT studies over the past two years, it seems unlikely at this point that we’ll hear any positive news coming from ongoing research. So if you’re taking one of these HRT drug therapies yourself, talk to your doctor about these studies. Or if you know any women who are taking HRT, share this important information with them.

Sources:
“Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy Is Associated With Atherosclerosis Progression in Women With Abnormal Glucose Tolerance” Circulation, Published online before print 6/28/04, circ.ahajournals.org
“Conjugated Equine Estrogens and Incidence of Probable Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Postmenopausal Women” Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 291, No. 24, 6/23/04, jama.ama-assn.org