Weigh Risk of HRT Drugs!!

"Weigh risk of hormone replacement therapy, physicians say!!"

(Inserts from article) After more than 10 years of popping a hormone pill every day, Dana Keeling took her last dose this week.

The 63-year old Tacoma woman started the medication at her doctor's urging to help prevent bone loss and heart disease. But after a large federal study reported last week that hormone replacement therapy can increase the risk of stroke, blood clots, breast cancer and heart attack, Keeling decided on her own it was time to stop.

Keeling and here circle reflect the range of responses from the six million American women who use the estrogen-progestin combination called into question by the Women's Health Imitative study.

The clearest message from the study, which involved 16,600 healthy, post-menopausal women from across the country, is that women who are taking hormones only to prevent heart disease should stop.

The study found that Prempro, the specific hormone combination examined, raised women's risk of heart attack by 29%.

"The main piece of advice is not to take it if you don't need it for an important reason," said Andrea LaCroix, an epidemiologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and co-leader of the Seattle clinic where 400 of the women in the national study were enrolled and tracked.

Women who are taking hormones to prevent bone loss should consider other alternatives --like Keely's decision to boost calcium and exercise. Several newer drugs, including Fosamax and Actonel, work directly on bones and MAY BE safer.

Shirley Beresford, the University of Washington epidemiologist who is principle investigator for the Seattle portion of the study, had been taking Prempro to prevent osteoporosis, "I stopped as soon as I heard the results," she said.

The use of hormone therapy became widespread in the United States beginning in the 1970's, shortly after publication of the book "Feminine Forever," which touted estrogen replacement as a way to keep post-menopausal women healthy, sexy and vital. The author's son told The New York Times last week that the book was bankrolled and promoted by the drug company Wyeth-Ayerst.

Scientist soon discovered that estrogen alone increased the risk of uterine cancer. Adding progestin, the so-called PMS hormone, to the drug formulation counteracted the uterine damage. Today, the only women who still receive estrogen-only therapy are those who have had hysterectomies.