Hormone replacement therapy and risk of falling in early postmenopausal women - a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of hormone (oestrogen) replacement therapy (HRT) on the risk of falling among early postmenopausal women.


METHODS
We assessed the incidence of falls in HRT users compared to non-users using population-based data from the Kuopio Osteoporosis Risk Factor and Prevention (OSTPRE) Study. The study group consisted of 9792 postmenopausal women who responded to the OSTPRE baseline and follow-up inquiries.


RESULTS
A total of 3049 women reported sustaining a fall during the previous 12 months. The association between current continuous use of HRT and overall risk of falling was non-significant - 9% (P = 0.10). However, current continuous HRT use was associated with a decreased risk (- 30%) of non-slip falls (N = 1129) (P = 0.0001) but not with the risk (+ 9%) of slip falls (N = 1757) (P = 0.23). In early postmenopausal women (time since menopause < 5 years) the protective effect of current continuous HRT was strengthened: the risk of non-slip falls was 71% lower in HRT users than non-users (P = 0.0035) if menopause had occurred within the past 2.5 years, and 43% lower (P = 0.0015) if time since menopause was 2.5-5 years.


CONCLUSIONS
Hormone replacement therapy may reduce the risk of non-slip falls in early postmenopausal women.
Randell
K M
KM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kuopio University Hospital, Finland. kaisa.randell@kuh.fi
Honkanen
R J
RJ
Komulainen
M H
MH
Tuppurainen
M T
MT
Kröger
H
H
Saarikoski
S
S
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000367:Age Factors; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk