HRT 'no benefit' to older hearts

More evidence that hormone replacement therapy could be harming, not protecting the hearts of older women has been published. Research into 5,000 women from the UK, Australia and New Zealand suggests women over 60 are more at risk of heart and blood problems. The British Medical Journal study backs major US research which revealed risks for millions of women worldwide.

The WISDOM study began in 1999, and involved doctors at the University of Adelaide in Australia, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in New Zealand, and the Medical Research Council in the UK. It identified 5,692 healthy women registered at GP practices with an average age of 63, and randomly gave them either combined oestrogen and progestogen HRT pills, or "dummy" placebo pills. When the US Women's Health Institute (WHI) study was halted in 2002 after finding significant evidence of HRT endangering the health of some of its patients, the WISDOM study, which was almost identical in its method, was also stopped. However, researchers were able to analyse the results in the first few years of the trial. They found, like the WHI study, a significant increase in the number of "major cardiovascular events", such as angina, heart attack or even sudden heart death, and potentially dangerous blood clots in the group given HRT, compared with those given no hormone treatment.

Dr Madge Vickers, former head of the MRC General Practice Research Framework, who led the study, added: "Importantly, the WISDOM study showed that there is no overall disease prevention benefit from HRT and some potential risk for women who start hormone replacement therapy many years after menopause.

Bonnie - as a Certified Menopause Educator, I have counseled many women over age 60 still on HRT. There are ways to safely wean off; and, if necessary, use natural substances to ameliorate menopausal symptoms.