FDA Initiates HRT

In an effort to clear up confusion about the risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the FDA has launched an education campaign.The FDA devised the campaign after a request from a House Appropriations subcommittee member. The agency has set up a Web site (www.4woman.gov) to provide information, and the FDA has planned a broadcast campaign to educate women.

?Our recommendation is that if you choose to use hormone replacement therapy for hot flashes or vaginal dryness, or if you prefer it to other treatments to prevent thin bones, take the lowest dose for the least duration required to provide relief,? said Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, FDA commissioner.

HRT has been found to increase the risk of heart disease, cancer, and blood clots. In July 2002, researchers stopped the Women?s Health Initiative study of HRT because the drugs were found to increase the risk of breast cancer, heart attack, and stroke.