Hormone replacement therapy — clarity at last!

The British Menopause Society and Women's Health Concern have today released updated guidelines on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) to provide clarity around the role of HRT, the benefits and the risks. The new guidelines appear in the society's flagship title, Menopause International, published by SAGE.

Over the last 11 years, HRT has changed from being branded the “elixir of youth” to being considered extremely risky and only to be used in certain circumstances. Since the publication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial in 2002, and the Million Women study (MWS) in 2003, confusion and controversy has surrounded the use of HRT and the known benefits have often been forgotten.

A panel of experts have carefully considered, researched and reanalyzed the WHI and MWS studies alongside conducting further trials and studies, to offer practioners a detailed review of the evidence to help them optimize their clinical decisions, and provide women with more balanced and accurate advice on HRT treatment for menopause.

The new HRT recommendations are designed to complement the BMS Observations and Recommendations on menopause. The updated guidelines detail key recommendations targeting access to advice on how women can optimize their menopause transition and beyond, focusing in particular on lifestyle and diet and an opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of complementary therapies and HRT.

“Our aim is to provide helpful and pragmatic guidelines for health professionals involved in prescribing HRT and for women considering or currently using HRT” says Nick Panay, Chair of The British Menopause Society and lead author of the recommendations. “With these updated recommendations, it is hoped that HRT will once again be used appropriately and provide benefits for many women in their menopause.”

“The 2013 British Menopause Society & Women's Health Concern recommendations on hormone replacement therapy” by Nick Panay, Haitham Hamoda, Roopen Arya and Michael Sarvas on behalf of the British Menopause Society and Women's Health Concern, published by SAGE in Menopause International, XX June 2013.

The article will be freely available for a limited time period here. And will be freely available on the British Menopause Society's website thereafter.

SAGE is a leading international publisher of journals, books, and electronic media for academic, educational, and professional markets. Since 1965, SAGE has helped inform and educate a global community of scholars, practitioners, researchers, and students spanning a wide range of subject areas including business, humanities, social sciences, and science, technology, and medicine. An independent company, SAGE has principal offices in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore and Washington DC. http://www.sagepublications.com

The British Menopause Society (BMS) is a registered charity and multi-disciplinary society directed at the medical profession. It was founded in 1989 to advance education in menopausal healthcare.

The BMS' mission is to:

To increase awareness of post reproductive healthcare issues
To promote optimal management through lectures, conferences, meetings, exhibitions and publications, including its journal, Menopause International.

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Menopause International:

The Integrated Journal of Postreproductive Health is the official journal of the British Menopause Society (BMS). Menopause International has a broad scope, tackling all the issues in this field, including the current controversies surrounding postmenopausal health and an ageing and expanding female population. A highly cited resource of news, research and opinion it is ideal for all those involved in the study and treatment of menopausal conditions across the world and a vital resource for all practitioners in this field. http://min.sagepub.com