1. Home>
2. Specialties>
3. General Medicine>
4. Summary and Comment

SUPPORT FOR WIDER USE OF POSTMENOPAUSAL HORMONE THERAPY.

The increased risk for breast cancer with postmenopausal hormone therapy deters many women from using it, but how does this risk compare with the benefits for individual women? This paper describes a computerized model for assessing the impact of hormone therapy on life expectancy in postmenopausal women with different risk profiles for coronary heart disease, breast cancer, and hip fracture.

Data for the study were derived from published literature. The model indicated that hormone therapy should increase life expectancy for most women, including an increase of over three years for women at the greatest risk for coronary disease and the lowest risk for breast cancer. The only women expected not to increase their life expectancy with hormone therapy were those at lowest risk for coronary disease and increased risk for breast cancer. The results of the model were summarized in a simple flow chart defining which women were recommended for hormone therapy.

Comment: This paper describes a potentially useful model that might aid decision-making for women entering menopause, and their physicians. These analyses suggest that hormone therapy is considerably underutilized.

— TH Lee

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine April 22, 1997

Citation(s):

Col NF et al. Patient-specific decisions about hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women. JAMA 1997 Apr 9 277 1140-1147.

• Medline abstract (Free)