New study questions if hormone supplements can improve women's moods.(Brief Article)

2002 MAR 7 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- A new study questions the effectiveness of hormone supplements in improving a woman's mood and energy level.

The study, led by a Stanford University researcher, found that hormones improved mood and reduced symptoms of depression in postmenopausal women who said they had hot flashes before starting on the pills.

However, no significant mental health benefits were found in women without initial hot flashes. These women also reported a more rapid decline in energy and physical activity while on hormones than a placebo group.

The findings "should challenge the widely held belief that hormone therapy helps women remain more youthful, active or vibrant," Drs. JoAnn Manson and Kathryn Rexrode of Harvard University's Brigham and Women's Hospital said in an accompanying editorial.

The study, published in the February 6, 2002, Journal of the American Medical Association, involved 2763 postmenopausal women with heart disease, age 67 on average. They reported on their health changes during 3 years of hormone treatment.

Whether similar results would be found in younger women closer to the average age of menopause - 51 - or in women without heart disease is unknown, the researchers said.

The findings add to the dilemma millions of women face over taking ...