Holly L. Thacker, MD Head, Section of Women’s Health, Women’s Health Center; Director, Women’s Health Track, General Internal Medicine Fellowship, The Cleveland Clinic
Address: Holly L. Thacker, MD, Women’s Health Center, A10, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44195; e-mail thackeh@ccf.org
Dr. Thacker has indicated that she serves on the speakers’ bureaus of the Pfizer, Wyeth-Ayerst, Eli Lilly, and Merck corporations.
This paper discusses therapies that are not approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the use under discussion.
Medical Grand Rounds articles are based on edited transcripts from Division of Medicine Grand Rounds presentations at The Cleveland Clinic. They are approved by the author but are not peer-reviewed.
ABSTRACTThe Women's Health Initiative found that the risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) exceeded its benefits in a large group of older postmenopausal women, but did not consider the efficacy of HRT in relieving vasomotor symptoms. Another recent study found that low-dose HRT was as effective as standard-dose HRT while causing fewer side effects. Smaller studies suggest that HRT may improve depression. HRT is not to be used for cardiovascular risk reduction. Genetic testing may point the way to more rational use of HRT.