Trial Results Have Dramatically Reduced HRT Use

More than half (58%) of women stopped taking HRT after the publication of a large trial in 2002 concluded that it was not suitable for the prevention of chronic diseases, finds a study in this week's BMJ.

Six months after the trial results were published, researchers in New Zealand surveyed 776 women who were taking HRT. Of 734 respondents, 423 (58%) had stopped taking HRT when the results were published, 132 (18%) had restarted at the time of the survey, and 291 (40%) had not.

Of the 132 women who restarted, 100 did so because of the return of
symptoms, 16 because they "felt better" on HRT, and 15 for other reasons. Most respondents (83%) reported that they had discussed HRT with a health professional. The authors also found that older age, use of combined HRT, and longer duration of HRT were associated with stopping HRT. The results were reported in the British Medical Journal today.