Hormone therapy 'could reduce risk of hyperkyphosis'

Researchers at the Women's Health Initiative have discovered a potential benefit of hormone therapy (HT) in regard to reducing the risk of women developing hyperkyphosis - an exaggerated curvature of the spine.

Published in Menopause, the journal of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), US, the research showed how during the first three years of HT there is an associated increase in bone density for female patients.

It found that, as hyperkyphosis is associated with bone loss and an increased risk of vertebral fractures, HT could therefore prove a suitable treatment to help limit the risk of individuals developing this condition.

NAMS executive director Dr JoAnn Pinkerton commented: "Women who reported early use of HT were less likely to develop age-related kyphosis, and the protective benefits continued even after stopping HT. This supports a benefit of prescribing HT close to menopause."

The study was based on the responses of more than 9,700 women aged 65 years and older, who were evaluated over a 15-year period. It is entitled 'Patterns of menopausal hormone therapy use and hyperkyphosis in older women'.