New evidence confirms that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should not be prescribed to older women who are many years past the menopause. The treatment will not help prevent chronic conditions such as heart disease in these women.
The findings of the WISDOM study, which was conducted by the Medical Research Council's General Practice Research Framework and Clinical Trials Unit in collaboration with clinicians in Australia and New Zealand are published on bmj.com.
A similar study, the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study found in 2002 that postmenopausal women taking HRT had more heart attacks, strokes and breast cancers than non-HRT users, although they had fewer hip fractures and bowel cancers. The trial was halted early and millions of women around the world stopped taking HRT for disease prevention.
The latest findings are from the WISDOM study which began in 1999 to assess the long-term risks and benefits of HRT after the menopause. This study was stopped after the first WHI results appeared, and therefore the numbers of events were small.