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There's new evidence about the dangers of hormone therapy. The government has halted a major national study on estrogen because of the risks.
This study is part of the Women's Health Initiative. Remember that large multi-center trial that assessed the possible health benefits of hormone therapy?
Well, whether you're taking estrogen alone or estrogen plus progestin, researchers say the benefits may not outweigh the longterm risk.
For the past seven years, 11,000 healthy post-menopausal women have been taking estrogen or a placebo dummy pill.
Last week, the National Institutes of Health sent them all letters, halting the study one year ahead of schedule, instructing the women to stop taking their pills.
Safety was the issue.
The study found women who took estrogen alone significantly increased the risk of stroke, and possibly the risk of dementia.
These results are similar to what scientists observed two years ago in women using combination hormone therapy in a different part of the same study, the Women's Health Initiative.
In 2002, women taking combination therapy - that's estrogen plus progestin - were also told to stop for safety reasons.
In addition to the increased risk for stroke, women on combination therapy were also at an increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer. Added risks that may be linked to adding progestin.
No matter what the differences, the N.I.H. advises women to discuss the risks and benefits of using hormones with their doctors, and that estrogen - with and without progestin- should be at the lowest dose for the shortest duration possible.
Keep in mind, the overall risk for stroke is still relatively small for estrogen with or with progestin.
Both studies found an additional eight stroke cases for every 10,000 women using hormones.
For women who really need estrogen for their hot flashes, this is tough news to swallow. So what are the alternatives?
First of all, don't stop taking hormones without talking to your doctor first.
As for estrogen, it's the best remedy to alleviate hot flashes. But there are alternatives. Black cohosh-- an herbal remedy-- some antidepressants such as Effexor have been shown to be effective, and lifestyle changes.
