Back in 2002, a clinical trial on a specific hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was terminated because of alleged side effects leading to breast cancer and heart attacks. However, in reality, the trial was stopped because of subtle reasons and the HRT was not significantly and statistically linked with the effects leading to breast cancer and heart attack.
This event has raised questions regarding the "facts" on the unsafe use of hormone replacement therapy by women and doctors. According to Science Daily, Professor Robert D. Langer, pioneer of the research stated that the "facts" surrounding to use or not to use HRT is wrong and incorrectly applied. Langer is one of the investigators of Women's Health Initiative (WHI), the organization who led the terminated HRT.
Langer describes in his paper the procedures which led to the distorted reporting of WHI findings that caused fear and stigma regarding the use of hormone replacement therapy. The clinical trial was conducted to test if the benefits of HRT in premenopausal women are also seen in postmenopausal women. The results of the trial have resulted to failure of symptom relief including; hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbance, joint pain, anxiety and lowered mood.
As reported by WebMD, hormone replacement therapy uses female hormones (estrogen and progesterone) to treat common symptoms of menopause and aging. HRT replaces hormones which the body cannot produce and is considered to be the most effective treatment of menopausal symptoms.
Furthermore, Langer points out that the second half of the WHI hormone replacement therapy trial has tested the conjugated equine estrogen in women with prior hysterectomy finding trends in heart attack and breast cancer. This result is opposite from the first part of the trial; there is a reduced rate of breast cancer and reduced rates of heart attack in women less than 60 years old.
The contrasting result demonstrates that there are important differences in hormone replacement therapy regimens considering the lessons brought by the terminated clinical trial. Langer has revealed major diseases that HRT could prevent including hip fractures and heart attacks.
