HRT Update The current problem with HRT is that the mid week press conferences staged before publication of the Million Women Study and the WHI Studies has encouraged the front pages to pick up the worst news before it is properly analysed by the scientific community.  This bad news is now in the public memory and will take years to erase.  This message is confusing as it should be the opposite of the press reports. For example, the recent publication of the "oestrogen only arm" of the WHI was stopped "because of an increase in strokes without any increase in heart attacks and breast cancer".  This is untrue.  On analysis of the women who start HRT from age 50-60, (which is 97% of our patients), the results are very different. There is no increase in strokes.  There is also a 48% decrease in heart attacks, a 28% decrease in breast cancer, a 40% decrease in colorectal cancer a 30% decrease in osteoporotic fractures and a 22% decrease in mortality by the end of this 7 year study. We have to ask why the press was manipulated in this cynical way. John STUDD, DSc, MD, FRCOG Professor of Gynaecology 29th July 2004  . www.studd.co.uk Back to top