National Osteoporosis Society's Position statement on hormone replacement therapy in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been shown to increase bone density, reduce the risk of fracture and can successfully relieve menopausal symptoms. From a time when HRT was the major therapeutic option for the management of osteoporosis, women and their clinicians now have a range of treatments available. Following the publication of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) and the Million Women Study highlighting potential side-effects, such as breast cancer, heart disease and stroke, many doctors and women are now reluctant to use HRT. The National Osteoporosis Society felt that the role of HRT in the management of osteoporosis needed to be clarified. Using the Charity's expert clinical and scientific advisers, and through public consultation with members and key stakeholders, a Position Statement has been published. We conclude that HRT has a role to play in the management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women below the age of 60 years. The key recommendations of the Position Statement are presented in this paper.