Hormone therapy not suited for chronic conditions

Dec 18, 2017 06:00 am

Those who are post-menopausal should not use hormone therapy to prevent chronic medical conditions, because the risk of significant side effects outweighs the unclear evidence of a benefit, according to a government-backed panel of experts.

Most chronic conditions - coronary heart disease, dementia, stroke, fractures and breast cancer - are more common with increasing age, but there is little evidence to link them with hormonal changes associated with menopause.

Still, hormone therapy was once commonly prescribed to prevent these conditions, until results from the large Women's Health Initiative study revealed serious adverse health effects in post-menopausal women who received menopausal hormone therapy.

But Dr Maureen Phipps, a member of the task force, said: "It is important to note that this recommendation is not focused on the use of hormone therapy to manage menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes or night sweats." - REUTERS