Hormone replacement therapy has long been thought to help fight age related health issues such as osteoporosis and coronary heart disease. Observational studies have supported the idea that hormone replacement therapy can be a benefit in the fight against heart disease and many patients taking hormone replacement therapy have been found to be at a lower risk of heart disease than those who are not. Until now there have been no clinical studies investigating the relationship between heart disease and hormone replacement therapy use but ‘The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study’ is the first of its kind to access this treatment.
‘The Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study’ consisted of the assessment of 2763 postmenopausal women over a period of 4.1 years. Half the women involved were given hormone replacement therapy while the other half were given a placebo pill.
The researchers found very little difference in the results of the two groups. The likelihood of the postmenopausal women suffering from coronary heart disease while taking hormone replacement therapy was very similar to the risk to those taking the placebo. However, it is in the break up of risk over time that the problems with hormone replacement therapy become apparent. In the first year of consumption, the postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy were at a much higher risk of suffering from heart disease than those women who were not. While after three years taking hormone replacement therapy the risk was in fact significantly lower in comparison to those women who were taking the placebo.
The results of this study differ greatly from those obtained from observational studies which have been conducted with postmenopausal women in the past. The differences between such studies are difficult to explain but researchers are keen to stress that the ambiguity of these results highlight the problems which can occur when hormone replacement therapy is prescribed to postmenopausal women and reduced heart disease risk is thought to be a benefit of the treatment.
As this research demonstrates hormone replacement therapy is still a very ambiguous treatment for the postmenopausal condition and more research needs to be undertaken in order to find definitive lists of the benefits and risks associated with hormone replacement therapy use. Women who are interested in using hormone replacement therapy should consult their doctor or a medical professional in order to assess the risks which come with hormone replacement therapy and decide whether or not this treatment is right for them.
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