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TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDayNews) -- The benefits of short-term hormone replacement therapy (HRT) outweigh the long-term risks for women with severe menopausal symptoms, says a study in the Aug. 9 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"We know that long-term hormone replacement therapy is not a good idea," study author Dr. Nananda F. Col, an internal medicine doctor at Rhode Island Hospital, said in a prepared statement.

"With short-term therapy, we're asking if the benefits can outweigh the risks. The answer is yes, if the symptoms are severe, and if women understand the risks associated with treatment," Col said.

She and her colleagues studied data from 10,000 women taking part in the Women's Health Initiative, the Framingham Heart Study, and the Minnesota Heart Study.

They found that short-term HRT therapy shortens life expectancy by a few days but increases quality of life among women with mild or severe menopausal symptoms. The women's improvement in quality of life depended on the severity and duration of their symptoms, the relief provided by HRT, and their risk of cardiovascular disease.

The study found that an average 50-year-old woman using HRT for two years lost about 12 days of life expectancy. Women at high risk for cardiovascular disease lost about 37.5 days of life expectancy, while women at low risk for cardiovascular disease lost about six days.

"We are not saying that everyone should take hormone therapy, or that no one should take it. Women have to balance the benefits and the risks. If the symptoms are bothersome enough, short-term hormone therapy might be a good option," Col said.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about hormone therapy.

(SOURCE: Lifespan Health Care System, news release, Aug. 9, 2004)

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