Hormone Replacement Therapy

Peer Review Status: Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, Cancer Information Service
First Published: September 2002
Last Revised: April 2003

The scientists who stopped the hormone study were part of the Women's Health Initiative, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH stopped the 16,600-woman study three years early. The women, who were taking the combination of estrogen and progestin on the study, were told to quit taking the pills. The NIH scientists also advised women not in the study, who take the HRT combination, to ask their doctors if they too, should quit taking the pills.

The study results showed that in one year, for every 10,000 women taking the estrogen-progestin combination, there would be:

• Eight more breast cancers
• Eight more strokes
• Seven more heart attacks

In other words, in two groups of 10,000 women each, one group taking HRT, the other group taking no hormones, 38 women taking the hormone combination would have breast cancer or a stroke, compared to 30 women who are not taking the HRT combination. And 37 women in the HRT group will have heart attacks compared to 30 women who do not take the hormones.

What can women who are experiencing menopausal symptoms do to help relieve them?

• Talk to your doctor about low dose anti-depressant drugs, such as Prozac and Effexor. These drugs may relieve hot flashes, even in women not depressed.
• Another drug to talk to your physician about is Clonidine, a drug prescribed for high blood pressure, and may also be effective for hot flashes
• Foods rich in soy may help
• Vitamin E also may be helpful