Women's Health Professional

Today's Date: Friday, November 21, 2008

Improved quality of life for older women on HRT, Study Agreed

Friday, August 22, 2008

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can improve the health related quality of life of older women, according to recent research, “Research paper: Health related quality of life after combined hormone replacement therapy: randomized controlled trial."

HRT guidelines should be reviewed in light of this evidence, said the authors.

Previous research has suggested that HRT can improve general quality of life and reduce the number and severity of symptoms associated with the menopause; but these studies have used general rather than more sensitive condition specific measures.

The WISDOM trial began in 1999 and aimed to evaluate the long term benefits and risks of HRT in postmenopausal women over 10 years. It randomized 5,692 healthy women aged 50–69 from general practices in the UK, Australia and New Zealand to receive either combined HRT (oestrogen and progestogen) or placebo.

All women were monitored for an average of 12 months, and in addition to the main clinical outcomes of cardiovascular disease, fractures and breast cancer, a detailed assessment of the impact of HRT on quality of life was recorded, said researchers.

Quality of life was measured using a modified version of the women’s health questionnaire designed to assess physical and emotional components of health such as depressed mood, memory and concentration, sleep problems and sexual functioning, as well as a symptoms questionnaire.

After one year, the researchers found significant improvements in sexual functioning, sleep problems and vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and sweats) in the combined HRT group compared to the placebo group.

Significantly fewer women in the HRT group reported:

hot flashes – 9 percent v.s. 25 percent (placebo),
night sweats 14 percent v.s. 23 percent,
aching joints and muscles 57 percent v.s. 63 percent,
insomnia 35 percent v.s. 41 percent; and
vaginal dryness 14 percent v.s. 19 percent.

An increase in breast tenderness 16 percent v.s. 7 percent and vaginal discharge 14 percent v.s. 5 percent was recorded by researchers.

Other menopausal symptoms, depression and overall quality of life were not significantly different in the two groups, said researchers.

These results are consistent with the findings of the Women’s Health Initiative and support the conclusion that after one year, women who started taking combined HRT many years after the menopause, experienced reduced hot flashes and night sweats, improved sleep and less bodily pain, said the authors.

These findings may have important benefits for many symptomatic women, the authors claimed , but they caution that the health related quality of life benefits must be weighed against the risk of increased cardiac events, venous thromboembolism and breast cancer.

To access the complete report, please visit: http://press.psprings.co.uk/bmj/august/HRT.pdf.

This site serves executives who are responsible for the management and administration of women's health programs. Our community includes hospital women's health managers, as well as directors and managers of women's health programs of government agencies, other healthcare organizations, health insurance plans, women's health organizations, colleges and universities and community-based organizations.

Click here to Contact Us