Hormone therapy use in Australian-born women: a longitudinal study

Abstract

<h4>Objectives</h4>To describe the pattern of use of hormone therapy (HT) among Australian women, and its side-effects and benefits, and to compare baseline characteristics of HT users with never users.<h4>Design</h4>Longitudinal community-based study with annual interviews.<h4>Setting</h4>Melbourne, May 1991-October 1997.<h4>Participants</h4>357 Australian-born women aged 45-55 years who were pre- or perimenopausal and not using HT at baseline.<h4>Main outcome measures</h4>Rates of HT use; baseline characteristics of users and non-users; side effects and benefits of HT use.<h4>Results</h4>151 women (42%) used HT over the six years and 93 (26%) were current users at six-year follow-up. HT users did not differ significantly from non-users in lifestyle, sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors or in most health status factors at baseline. However, HT users were significantly more likely to have had a breast examination by a health professional (odds ratio [OR], 2.60; 95% CI, 1.62-4.17), to have had a tubal ligation (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.09-2.74), to report a history of premenstrual complaints (OR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.08-2.74), to agree that women "regret when their period stops for the last time" (OR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.04-2.74), and to report that they took non-prescription medications (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.02-2.59). Most (84%) HT users described benefits (most commonly relief of hot flushes and improved wellbeing), while 53% complained of side effects (most commonly weight gain and breast tenderness).<h4>Conclusions</h4>HT users did not differ significantly from non-users at baseline in most characteristics. Long-term follow-up of this cohort is now required to assess any difference in cardiovascular events or other health outcomes between HT users and non-users.