Well, the latest update on the much-reviewed and much-hyped
Women’s Health Initiative Study, that huge randomized study that came to the
conclusion that for the large majority of women, the risks of hormones after
menopause outweigh the benefits, is in and guess what.
After looking at the follow-up data on those 27000 women 10
years down the line, the conclusion is the same: for the majority of women,
especially women who are getting well beyond their peri-menopause years, the
risks of hormones outweigh the benefits, although the risks do seem to be
somewhat less than was originally found in the first phase of the study.
All of which led the study’s authors to conclude that
hormones should not be used to try to lessen the burden of chronic illness.
Hormones can be used, however, for the control of moderate
to severe symptoms of menopause.
To which I would add, but if used in that situation – to
mitigate symptoms – always make sure to use the lowest dose of the weakest
formulation that might be effective.
