Increased Risk of Severe Asthma Attacks From HRT Therapy
A new study adds to the debate over the health effects of the drug which helps women through the menopause.
Previous studies have found a link between asthma and HRT, but this is the first to suggest that the drug can lead to severe asthma attacks, which could lead to hospitalisation.
Researchers recorded the intake of HRT in 23,138 women from the Danish Diet, Cancer and Health Cohort. They also denoted incidence of asthma hospitalisations and obtained information on participants’ smoking status, occupational exposure, body mass index and whether or not they had undergone a hysterectomy to account for other factors relating to asthma incidence.
The results showed that using HRT was positively associated with hospitalisations from severe asthma attacks, as women were 1.3-times more likely to be admitted to hospital for an exacerbation if they were taking the drug. The risk increased the longer HRT was used and women taking the drug for longer than 10 yrs were 1.5-times more likely to require hospital treatment for asthma.
These results were also found when taking into account other conflicting factors which could lead to severe asthma attacks.
Previous research has suggested a link between asthma and female sex hormones, especially HRT. These findings not only confirm this link, but also extend this to severe asthma attacks. Final proof is still needed from randomised trials, but the researchers believe that the suspicion is now so strong that it should be brought to the attention of clinicians. If a patient develops asthma or has a severe worsening of symptoms after taking HRT, they may need to stop hormone therapy altogether.
Reference for: Increased Risk of Severe Asthma Attacks From HRT Therapy
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