Study: lower hormone doses as effective

Lower doses of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are as effective at reducing symptoms in postmenopausal women as currently prescribed doses, according to a study in the June issue of Fertility and Sterility.

The women’s Health, Osteoporosis, Progestin, and Estrogen (HOPE) study, in which the U.Va. Health System participated, found that lower doses of conjugated equine estrogens and medroxyprogesterone, which protects the uterus against cancer, reduce symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal changes, as effectively as commonly prescribed higher doses.

“This is exciting,” said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, director of U.Va.’s MidLife Center and coauthor of the study. Women entering menopause may opt for lower doses of HRT, easing fears about the link between estrogen and breast cancer, she said.

The HOPE clinical trials, funded by Wyeth Laboratories, involved more than 2,000 healthy, postmenopausal women with intact uteruses.

After one year, researchers found that breast pain is the most common side effect of lower doses. However, less bleeding occurred. Heavy bleeding has been a major reason why women discontinue HRT, said Pinkerton, who expects the Food and Drug Administration to approve a low-dose HRT by the end of the summer.