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Post-WHI analysis; Survey: women overestimate HT's risks, benefits.(Gynecology)
BOCA RATON, FLA. -- Women overestimate the risks and the benefits of hormone therapy, according to the results of a patient survey presented at the annual meeting of the South Atlantic Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Almost 80% of the 1,076 women surveyed believed HT increased their risk of death from complications associated with the therapy, and 94% believed it increased their risk of breast cancer by up to 30% per year of use. And although 60% correctly believed that HT decreases the risk of developing osteoporosis, they greatly overstated the actual risk reduction of 0.05% per year of use.
Most of these misperceptions result from confusing media reports of the landmark Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trials, noted Dr. Eric Levens, who is the lead author of the survey study.
"The original WHI study and the publicity following it expressed the risks and benefits in terms of relative risk," said Dr. Levens, an ob.gyn. resident at the University of Florida. "For example, the study noted that HT users had a 24% increased relative risk of developing breast cancer. The general public probably interpreted that to mean a 24% increase in the chance of developing breast cancer per year of use."
Respondents reported that the media had the least effect on their decision-making about the therapy. Instead, they reported relying mostly on their doctor's explanations and recommendations. If this is true, Dr. Levens said, physicians need to do a better job of explaining HT's risks and benefits, because many women are apparently still confused about them.
"Our findings point to a strong need for a public education campaign to explain the actual risks and benefits in a way that people can understand," he said. "We suggest that when explaining these risks and benefits, physicians use attributable risk instead of a percent increase or decrease of relative risk. After appropriate patient education and discussion, the patient and physician should make the ...
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Source: HighBeam Research, Post-WHI analysis; Survey: women overestimate HT's risks,...