Researchers Say Hormone Therapy Good for Short-Term Use

In their most detailed analysis yet, researchers from the embattled Women's Health Initiative reiterated their conclusion that hormone therapy is a reasonable option for short-term relief of menopausal symptoms for women in their 50s but shouldn't be used to prevent chronic disease.

The study, in the Journal of the American Medical Association this week, is the latest salvo in a long-running debate over hormone therapy in the U.S.

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The new JAMA study provides the most detailed breakdown yet of how the risks and benefits vary by age and type of hormone therapy, based on 13 years of study and follow-up.

For example, the risk of invasive breast cancer was 24% higher among women taking estrogen plus progestin compared with placebo, but 21% lower among women taking estrogen alone, regardless of age.

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Overall, the authors said the risks of combined therapy outweighed the benefits, noting that for every 10,000 women taking the drugs, there were six more coronary events, nine more strokes, nine more pulmonary emboli and nine more cases of breast cancer, but also six fewer cases of colorectal cancer, one fewer case of endometrial cancer, six fewer hip fractures and one fewer death.

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