Health fears force HRT trial to stop
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.One of the world's largest clinical trials to test the long-term safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been stopped prematurely because the risks of taking the drugs significantly outweighed the benefits.
One of the world's largest clinical trials to test the long-term safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been stopped prematurely because the risks of taking the drugs significantly outweighed the benefits.
American doctors said yesterday that they halted the trial involving 16,608 postmenopausal women because those taking HRT had a 29 per cent increase in the risk of breast cancer and a 22 per cent increase in the risk of heart disease.
They said the absolute risks were still very small, with just eight more breast cancers expected in every 10,000 individuals on the treatment. But they judged the ill effects sufficient to stop the trial after 5.2 years, when it had been due to run for 8.5 years. The trial was part of a study called the Women's Health Initiative run by the US National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, which released the findings yesterday on the website of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
However, Professor David Purdie, a specialist in HRT at Hull University, said American and British HRT preparations were different and the results should not stop women in Britain taking HRT.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments