Appropriate use of HRT post-menopause.
The last decade has seen a dramatic increase in the use of, and interest in, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the United Kingdom, with its undoubted benefits in relieving distressing symptoms associated with the menopause, protecting the skeleton and preventing ischaemic heart disease. Recent studies, however, suggest that compliance with therapy tends to be poor. In this article, the author examines some of the reasons why the drop-out rate is so high in women who start hormone replacement therapy, and suggests there are three broad areas in which there is need for improvement: more counselling of patients, dispelling unrealistic expectations which some women may have of HRT and, most importantly, the need for the individualization of therapy to suit the woman's requirements.
Gangar
E
E
D000328:Adult; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause; D008594:Menopause, Premature; D008875:Middle Aged