Bone Mass Response to Discontinuation of Long-term Hormone Replacement TherapyResults From the Postmenopausal Estrogen/Progestin Interventions (PEPI) Safety Follow-up Study

Abstract

POSTMENOPAUSAL hormone therapy (HRT) is a complex intervention that may have substantial long-term benefits such as primary prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis, and several other chronic diseases.¹ The abbreviation HRT (traditionally standing for "hormone replacement therapy") is used herein because of its wide recognition in the field. However, the pharmacological doses of estrogens and progestins used are not truly "replacement" in nature. However, this pharmacological treatment is not risk free. One of the most feared potential complications of long-term HRT is breast cancer.² Although studies of breast cancer risk related to postmenopausal hormone use have had mixed outcomes,³ some have shown that cancer risk increases with longer duration of estrogen use.^4,5