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Lower
dose hormone replacement therapy (HRT) prevents postmenopausal
osteoporosis as effectively as the standard dose, according
to researchers at Helen Hayes Hospital in New York.
Also,
the researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical
Association that calcium alone does not prevent bone loss
during early menopause as was previously believed.
"We
know that HRT improves bone health and prevents osteoporosis.
These results are exciting because physicians can now have
confidence that this bone benefit can be achieved even at
lower doses for their postmenopausal patients," said
Dr. Robert Lindsay, chief of internal medicine and lead author
of the study.
The Women's
Health Osteoporosis Progestin Estrogen (HOPE) study is one
of the largest HRT studies of its kind. The trial was randomized
and placebo-controlled involving more than 800 postmenopausal
women between the ages of 40 to 65. It tested the effects
of lower doses of HRT on bone mineral density in postmenopausal
women who were within four years of their last menstrual period.
The results of the study showed that HRT regardless of dose
significantly increases bone mineral density and prevents
osteoporosis.
Women
in the study were given estrogen (Premarin) or an estrogen/progestin
combination (Prempro), both at lower than standard doses,
or a placebo. The women were also given 600 mg of calcium
per day. Spine, total hip and total bone mineral contents
were studied every six months throughout the study.
After
two years, women who were given hormones showed significant
gains in spine, hip and total bone mineral density. Increases
in bone mineral density were similar among all women receiving
therapy. However, women given calcium and the placebo lost
bone mass over the two-year study.
"By
addressing bone loss early, we can prevent osteoporosis, reduce
the risk of fracture and prevent broken bones in the aging
female population," said Lindsay. "Women need to
think about preventative steps for osteoporosis, including
an adequate calcium intake, an adequate amount of physical
activity and consider hormone replacement therapy."
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of June 2, 2002
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