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11 Jul 2008
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) patches or gels cause less risk of gallbladder disease in postmenopausal women than HRT administered orally, new research suggests.
A study published by the British Medical Journal, highlighted the link between HRT and increased risk of gallbladder disease, but found that the risk varies dependent on the form of treatment.
Researchers at the University of Oxford reviewed data of more than 1.3 million women aged in excess of 50 over a period of six years.
The results revealed that women who took HRT via patches or gel were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with gallbladder disease than those who took HRT in the form of tablets.
According to the study's authors, the different ways in which oestrogen is absorbed in each form of administration may account for the recorded risk variation. When taken orally, most of the oestrogen is broken down by the liver prior to entering the circulation, while with patches the hormones are absorbed directly through the skin in lower doses.
Experts state that HRT remains the first-line and most effective treatment for symptoms of menopause.
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