Combined HRT reduces risk of death from all causes

A study published in the journal for the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology shows combined HRT (estrogen and progesterone) has a 9% reduced risk of death from any cause.

Published in May 2022, Nurunnahar Akter’s study looked at the health records from over 300,000 women in the UK, aged between 46-65 years, in the time period of 1984-2017. The aim was to see if estrogen-only and combined HRT had any effects on the mortality rate of women during that period.

The researchers matched women taking HRT with women who did not take HRT but were of a similar age and sociodemographic group and studied their health for on average 13 years.

After ruling out existing health conditions such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease, the study found that, compared to the non-HRT users, women who had taken combined HRT (estrogen and progesterone) had on average a 9% lower risk of death from any cause.

The study found no significant effect on the risk of death for the women taking estrogen-only HRT (in any age group).

You can read this study in full here.

Louise Pryor, President of Institute and Faculty of Actuaries, who commissioned the study, said:

“This study supports the emerging consensus that, for most women, the benefits of HRT outweigh the harm.”

“This is a very welcome study. In our clinic, which receives referrals from every corner of the UK, sadly we often see women who have been misinformed about the risks of HRT. If prescribed appropriately based on rigorous empirical research, HRT is not only safe but has the potential to prevent bad health outcomes, including several diseases that particularly affect women, such as osteoporosis and dementia. This timely study helps reassure women that evidence-based HRT use is safe, and supports doctors across the UK to provide safe, individualised care.”

Founder of balance, Dr Louise Newson