(Denise Mann/ HealthDay) — Some women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to combat the hot flashes and night sweats that accompany menopause, but a new study review suggests hormone therapy may increase a woman’s risk for developing heartburn.
Women who take or have ever taken hormones are at greater risk for developing gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, which is marked by heartburn, difficulty swallowing and chest pain, the analysis of five previous studies found. It was published June 27 in Menopause, journal of the North American Menopause Society.
This isn’t the first time that HRT has been linked to side effects. Long-term use fell from grace in 2002 after the Women’s Health Initiative study found hormones increased the risk of strokes, and breast and ovarian cancer. These days, short-term use of hormone therapy is deemed safe for some women who have severe menopausal symptoms.
“The main message is that hormone therapy use can be associated with GERD and that women who are at risk should be counseled accordingly,” said Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health in Rochester, Minn. (…)