HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY AND STRONGER BONES

According to a recent study, the most effective way for many older women to ward off osteoporosis may be with hormone replacement therapy.

Scientists at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Nedlands, Australia, investigated the effectiveness of three different approaches to retarding bone loss in 120 postmenopausal women whose average age was 56. The methods investigated were exercise, exercise combined with a calcium supplement and exercise plus an estrogen-progesterone replacement.

The results of the study revealed that exercise alone had little effect in reducing bone loss, while exercise plus calcium did reduce the loss of bone. But, exercise and hormone replacement therapy produced the best results—an actual increase in bone density.

While hormone replacement therapy is still somewhat controversial—it can cause side effects, such as tender breasts and vaginal bleeding, and may increase, slightly, a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer—the new research suggests that the therapy may be the most effective treatment for postmenopausal women with low bone mass and no history of breast cancer.

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