HRT 'scare' expert plays down risk

A researcher involved in HRT research that has prompted millions to stop taking it insists the treatment is the best option for many women.

Dr Susan Johnson was involved with the Women's Health Initiative study that was halted early in the US amid breast cancer and stroke fears.

However, she told a conference in Seattle that the benefits made the small risks worthwhile in many cases.

She said that she had persuaded some of her patients to start on HRT again.

HRT - hormone replacement therapy - is taken by millions of women worldwide to relieve menopausal symptoms.

However, there has been concern for some time that long-term users might increase their risk of breast cancer, heart attack and stroke.

Massive studies were set up in the US and Europe in an attempt to gauge with more precision the level of risk each woman might face.

Source : BBC News | More Information