Another research study shows danger from HRT

Women with diabetes who use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) are at an increased risk of death from all causes and heart disease, according to a study in the BMJ (formerly known as the British Medical Journal).

Using data from a group of Danish nurses, researchers examined the association between hormone replacement therapy and ischemic heart disease, heart attack, and total number of deaths among 13,084 postmenopausal women.

They found that HRT did not protect women against heart disease or heart attack, but there was a significantly increased risk of death from all causes and ischemic heart disease among women with diabetes.

This effect was not influenced by other risk factors for heart disease, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and body mass index, said the authors.

Reasons for the harmful effect of hormone replacement therapy among women with diabetes are inconclusive, but could be explained by an influence on blood sugar control, they concluded.

This is only the latest in a number of research reports that show that HRT – rather than being a help for women – actually increases health risks.

SOURCE: "Relation between hormone replacement therapy and ischaemic heart disease in women: prospective observational study," BMJ 2003;326:426, Feb. 22, 2003. .