Postmenopausal hormone therapy is widely used to prevent diseases. This is not, however, based on the kind of evidence that is normally required of a preventive drug therapy: it is based on intermediary outcomes of trials and non-experimental studies. Many reasons can be postulated for the fact that we know little of this old and widely used therapy. To remedy the current situation, we should encourage randomised controlled trials, reveal the insufficiency of the current evidence, and challenge the drug industry's biased influence.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Hemminki E.The future of population strategies in prevention: drugs for all? Scand J Soc Med1995; 23: 225-6.
2.
Hemminki E., Topo P.Prescribing of hormone therapy in menopause. Psychosom Obstet Gynecol1997a; 18: 145-57.
3.
Toiviainen H. , Hemminki E.Finnish physicians' attitudes towards preconsultation information: menopausal treatment practices as an example . Patient Educ Couns1998; 35: 101-9.
4.
Hulley S., Grady D., Bush T., Furberg C., Herrington D., Riggs B., et al, for the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS) Research Group. Randomized trial of estrogen plus progestin for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal womenJAMA1998; 280: 605-13.
5.
The Writing Group for the PEPI Trial.Effects of hormone therapy on bone mineral density—results from the posmenopausal estrogen/progestin interventions (PEPI) trial. JAMA1996; 276: 1389-96.
6.
Pedersen AT, Lidegaard ø, Kreiner S., Ottesen S.Hormone replacement therapy and risk of non-fatal stroke. Lancet1997; 350: 1277-83.
7.
Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer.Breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy: collaborative reanalysis of data from 51 epidemiological studies of 52 705 women with breast cancer and 108 411 women without breast cancer. Lancet1997; 350: 1047-59.
8.
Beresford SAA , Weiss NS, Voigt LF, McKnight B.Risk of endometrial cancer in relation to use of oestrogen combined with cyclic progestagen therapy in postmenopausal women. Lancet1997; 349: 458-461.
9.
Gutthann SP, Rodriguez LAG, Castellsague J., Oliart ADHormone replacement therapy and risk of venous thromboembolism: population based case-control study. Br Med J1997; 314: 796-800.
10.
Barrett-Connor E., Grady E.Hormone replacement therapy, heart disease, and other considerations. Annu Rev Public Health1998a; 19: 55-72.
11.
Barrett-Connor E.Hormone replacement therapy. Br Med J1998b; 317: 457-61.
12.
Khaw K-T.Hormone replacement therapy again—risk— benefit relation differs between populations and individuals. Br Med J1998; 316: 1842-44.
13.
Michaëlsson K., Baron JA, Farahmand BY, Johnell O., Magnusson C., Persson P-G., et al. Hormone replacement therapy and risk of hip fracture: population based case-control study. Br Med J1998; 316: 1858-1863.
14.
Sourander L. , Rajala T., Räihä I., Mäkinen J., Erkkola R., Helenius H.Cardiovascular and cancer morbidity and mortality and sudden cardiac death in postmenopausal women on oestrogen replacement therapy (ERT). Lancet1998; 352: 1965-9.
15.
Yaffe K., Sawaya G., Lieberburg I., Grady D.Estrogen therapy in postmenopausal women—effects on cognitive function and dementia. JAMA1998; 279: 688 - 95.
16.
Hemminki E. , Britton A., Hatara E., McPherson K.Time trends of cardiovascular mortality and post-menopausal hormone use in Finland. Eur J Public Health1998; 8: 217-21.
17.
Coronary Drug Project Research Group.Influence of adherence to treatment and response of cholesterol on mortality in the Coronary Drug Project. N Engl J Med1980; 303: 1038-41.
18.
Hemminki E. , Malin M., Topo P.Selection to postmenopausal therapy by women's characteristics. J Clin Epidemiol1993a; 46: 211-9.
19.
La Croix AZ , Burke W.Breast cancer and hormone replacement therapy . Lancet1997; 350: 1042-3.
20.
Hemminki E. , McPherson K.Impact of postmenopausal hormone therapy on heart disease and cancer—pooled data from clinical trials . Br Med J1997b; 315: 149 - 53.
21.
Hemminki E. , McPherson K.Value of drug-licensing documents in studying the effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy on cardiovascular disease. Lancet2000; 355: 566-9.
