HRT usage waned after damning 2002 report: study
20.06.2008 16:01
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
Fewer Canadian women over the age of 65 are using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the likely result of a 2002 study that found the practice had more risks than benefits, says a new report. The report, published by the Canadian Institute for Health Information and released Thursday, found that in the five provinces studied — Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia — use of HRT among women over 65 dropped from 14 per cent to five per cent between the periods of 2001-2002 and 2006-2007. The average drop per year among HRT users was 17 per cent per year during the study period. In the first two years after the release of the 2002 Women's Health Initiative Study — a sweeping report which found HRT posed serious risks, such as a higher risk of heart disease and stroke — usage fell 30 per cent. In terms of dosage, women taking a higher dose (0.625 mg) of estrogen in 2000-2001 and still taking HRT in 2006-2007, 37 per cent were taking a lower dose (0.3 mg), the report finds. In 2006-2007, the rate of estrogen-only HRT use was 3.1 per cent to 5.4 per cent across the provinces, while use of combination HRT ranged from 0.5 per cent to 1.1 per cent. The report relies on data from the National Prescription Utilization Information System database, as well as population data from Statistics Canada. "New evidence highlighting the potential risks of HRT, as well as its lack of benefit in preventing heart disease, has forced caregivers and patients to re-examine its use, particularly in elderly patients," said Dr. Jennifer Blake, the chief of obstetrics and gynecology at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. HRT, a combination of estrogen and progestin or estrogen alone, is used to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, as well as offering protection against heart disease and bone loss brought on by waning hormone levels. "Current Canadian guidelines recommend that both estrogen-only and combination HRT be taken at the lowest effective dose," said Blake. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksHigher ovarian cancer risk linked to HRTReduced HRT may have cut U.S. breast cancer rates: studyHealth HeadlinesTreating herpes doesn't reduce HIV risk, researchers findDoctors have believed that by treating herpes, they could also cut a person's HIV risk, but a new study suggests the theory is wrong. Lifestyle choices to blame for insulin resistance more than genes: studyLifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, may have more influence on the development of insulin resistance than heredity, suggests new research. Pregnancy pact alarms officials at U.S. high school: reportsA pregnancy pact may be responsible for a dramatic rise in mothers-to-be at a Massachusetts high school, Time magazine reports.HRT usage waned after damning 2002 report: studyFewer Canadian women over the age of 65 are using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the likely result of a 2002 study that found the practice had more risks than benefits. Canadians win prestigious Kyoto Prize for 1st timeA leading Toronto scientist and a Montreal-based philosopher have been awarded the prestigious Kyoto Prizes, Japan's equivalent of the Nobel Prizes. Health FeaturesCHILD REARINGDisciplineIN DEPTHStem cellsResearch fraught with controversyIN DEPTHWest Nile virusFactsYOUR VIEWHealth woesHow has Canada's doctor shortage affected your life?HEALTH & FITNESSPeter HadzipetrosFit to be downtownPeople who read this also read …
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