Women who use hormone replacement therapy may have a lower chance of dying young.
A study of over 105,000 people showed that they were 9 per cent more likely to die than women who had never had HRT.
HRT is believed to be used by approximately one in seven women who are going through menopause in England. It can reduce symptoms like hot flushes, night-sweats, and depression.
Researchers at the University of East Anglia examined the medical records of healthy women in the UK that began using ‘combined HRT’ between 1984 and 2017, at ages 46 to 65.
Some studies have shown that therapy, which replaces hormones lost during menopause, can increase breast cancer risk.
Women who receive hormone replacement therapy may be less likely to die young if they are taking hormone replacement therapy.
The current study’s authors claim that it may have health benefits, including strengthening bones and reducing the chance of them breaking.
Older people may be at greater risk of death from broken bones or complications.
Nick Steel, a coauthor and a clinical professor in public health at Norwich Medical School said: ‘It’s exciting that this research found that combined HRT was linked to a lower risk of death and that oestrogen alone HRT was not associated to an increased death risk.
The results, which are not yet published, come as the Commons prepares for debate on a Private Member’s Bill from Labour MP Carolyn Harris this week regarding scrapping HRT prescription costs.
The therapy, taken by an estimated one million women, costs about £9 per prescription, which means some women who take two types of hormone pay almost £100 a year.
The new research only found the 9 per cent reduction in the risk of dying for women taking combined HRT, which involves two hormones – oestrogen and progesterone.
Oestrogen only HRT, which tends not to be given to women after hysterectomies has shown no significant link to the risk of dying.
The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries commissioned the study. It found that women who took combined HRT had lower rates of type 2 diabetes and heart failure than the 224 643 women of the same age who did not. This could be explained by the authors.
The strength of this study is that it found a lower death rate for people who received combined HRT despite the fact that factors such as weight, blood pressure, smoking and other health issues were taken into account. The study looked at almost 330,000 women.
Haitham Hamoda is the chairman of the British Menopause Society. He said that the findings sent a’very positive message… and provide reassurance to women considering their options during menopause.