Menopause Society releases report on HRT: the report was well received but still leaves many pressing questions unanswered. (Consider Lower than Normal Doses).

CHICAGO -- A report issued by the North American Menopause Society offers some recommendations on the use of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women but leaves many pressing questions about the therapy unanswered.

The report drew vigorous applause as it was presented at the annual meeting of the North American Menopause Society by NAMS President Dr. Margery Gass of the University of Cincinnati and Dr. Wulf Utian, NAMS executive director.

But panelists acknowledged that they were unable to come to a concensus on issues such as the appropriate duration of treatment for menopausal symptoms and how best to discontinue treatment.

The effort to provide clinical guidance comes on the heels of recently reported findings from the Women's Health Initiative suggesting that the combination hormone replacement therapy (HRT) product Prempro does more harm than good in postmenopausal women, particularly when it comes to breast cancer and cardiovascular disease risk.

Members of the 10-person advisory panel that was convened to develop the recommendations fielded scores of questions from attendees who sought clarification of the data from the WHI and the Heart and Estrogen/Progestin Replacement Study (HERS)--the impetus for the report--and about how to approach hormone therapy in their patients in light of these findings.

Based on the evidence from WHI and HERS, the panel agreed on the following points:

* Treatment of vasomotor and urogenital menopause symptoms, such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes, is the primary indication for HRT.