|
Studies: Hormone therapy boosts life span for most women
Benefits outweigh risks, researchers say
April 9, 1997
Web posted at: 2:24 p.m. EDT (1824 GMT)From Correspondent Al Hinman
ATLANTA (CNN) -- Most women who take hormone supplements after menopause will live longer as a result, according to a study published in Wednesday's issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
While looking for a better way to help women assess the benefits and risks of the supplements, scientists say they learned that the hormones appear to help protect post-menopausal women from heart disease, strokes and brittle bones.
The studies also showed, however, that the hormones slightly increase a woman's risk of cancer of the breast or womb lining.
"Some women will gain over three years of life," said lead researcher Dr. Nananda F. Col of New England Medical Center, "and some women will lose on the order of several months."
Balancing the potential benefits against the risks is not an easy decision for many women.
"It still comes down to the individual's concerns and fears and their uncertainty about doing this," says gynecological oncologist Dr. Ernest Franklin.
Jan Burnette is convinced she made the right decision last year when she took her doctor's advice and begin hormone replacement therapy to counter the effects of menopause.
But like most women, Burnette says she was concerned about the increased risks. The National Cancer Institute says about one woman in eight will develop breast cancer in her lifetime.
"We know that hormone therapy increases the risk of developing breast cancer, but we know that it also decreases the risk of developing heart disease, possibly cutting it by as much as half," Col says.
With such risks to weigh against each other, it's often easier to do nothing. In Boston, the researchers turned to the computer to help make it easier for women to make the decision.
They developed a computer model that can assess the benefits and risks of hormone therapy on everything from breast cancer to coronary heart disease.
The results of the computer study are published in Wednesday's JAMA article. and doctors who've had an early look at the new computer-generated diagnostic tool are excited, saying it should make it easier to help women make an often tough decision.
Related stories:
- Estrogen therapy may affect mammograms, study says - May 15, 1996
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser windowExternal sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.