Menopausal hormone replacement therapy has come under a lot of scrutiny during the last ten years because of the Women’s Health Initiative. This government-funded research was designed to determine the benefits and risks of HRT. It made headlines when the data showed an increased risk of cardiovascular problems among women taking hormones. There was also an increased risk of breast cancer. Additional data collected during this study now show that women on estrogen are more susceptible to kidney stones. Those who continued taking HRT throughout the study increased their risk of stones by 39 percent. Women’s average risk of kidney stones at this age is about 5 to 7 percent. With HRT that went up to 8.5 to 10 percent. The investigators urge women and their doctors to weigh this risk when making decisions about HRT use.
[Archives of Internal Medicine, Oct. 11, 2010]
