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Hormone therapy OK for menopausal women: Health groups

Written by: QMI Agency
Jul. 9, 2012

A group representing 15 top medical organizations in North America has come out in favour of the controversial hormone therapy, declaring it safe for menopausal women.

A joint statement issued by the group -- which includes the Society of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists of Canada and the SIGMA Canadian Menopause Society -- says there are concerns "too many symptomatic women are missing out on the proven benefits of hormone therapy" after the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) published its assessment on the controversial treatment and said the risks exceeded the benefits.

"The results of the WHI, which studied the long-term use of hormones to prevent chronic disease, were misinterpreted for women with menopausal symptoms," Dr. Margery Gass, executive director for North American Menopause Society, said in a release about the joint statement Monday.

"Women and clinicians are frustrated by the many conflicting recommendations. That's why we initiated this effort to bring these notable medical organizations together in agreement regarding the use of hormone therapy."

In hormone therapy, women take estrogen and progesterone to help with symptoms, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, bone loss and mood swings.

Some of the risks involved include blood clots, heart attack, stroke, breast cancer and gall bladder disease.

The 15 groups concluded hormone therapy is acceptable for women up to the age of 59, and healthy women who are bothered by menopausal symptoms.

They also noted the increased risk of breast cancer is seen with five or more years of continuous estrogen with progesterone therapy, possibly earlier. The risk decreases after hormone therapy is stopped.

 

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