Guest guest Posted July 10, 2002 Report Share Posted July 10, 2002 i know this is a side issue but it had been discussed in the group..not sure it is of value but it might be to those who were in a quandary Sam HRT risks 'too high' By CP TORONTO -- Women approaching menopause or on hormone replacement therapy to deal with symptoms of menopause and aging faced disturbing questions yesterday after a major U.S. study said the risks of the treatment were too high to justify long-term use. In fact, scientists conducting what was meant to be an 8 1/2-year study on whether HRT protects postmenopausal women against heart disease pulled the plug more than three years early. It had become clear the combination of estrogen and progestin didn't protect, but raised the risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots among users. The increased risk of breast cancer was already known. " The cardiovascular and cancer risks of estrogen plus progestin outweigh any benefits -- and a 26% increase in breast cancer risk is too high a price to pay, even if there were a heart benefit, " said Dr. Claude Lenfant, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which conducted the study. But women should quit HRT only " extremely gradually, " said Dr. Jerilynn Prior, an endocrinologist who specializes in menstrual cycles at the UBC. " The hot flushes that are provoked by a woman who stops estrogen suddenly are the most difficult of any in the world to treat, " Prior said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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