Skin patches clue to HRT?

Friday June 4th, 2010

Skin patches may provide a way to reintroduce "safe" forms of hormone replacement therapy, researchers said today.

Skin patches carrying low doses of HRT are less likely to lead to stroke than HRT tablets, according to a major study involving more than 800,000 British women.

HRT use has slumped after a series of studies linking it to serious side-effects, including stroke.

The latest study suggests no link to stroke when low dose patches are used.

Researchers used anonymous GP records to identify women who suffered a stroke in a 20 year period up to October 2006 for the research, published on-line by the British Medical Journal. They found some 15,000 who had strokes - and compared their experience of HRT with other women.

The study showed no increase in stroke risk from low-dose oestrogen patches - but an 88 per cent increased risk when high-dose patches were used.

And the overall increased risk from pills was more than 25 per cent - unless they were taken for less than a year.

The researchers led by Professor Samy Suissa, of McGill University, Montreal, Canada, call for more research into the use of low-dose patches.

They say: "Although these results alone do not represent definitive evidence to promote the use of the transdermal route over oral administration of oestrogen replacement therapy, this study should encourage further research on the importance of the route of administration to define the role of transdermal oestrogens in the therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of menopausal symptoms."

British Medical Journal on-line June 4 2010

Tags: North America | Pharmaceuticals | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology

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