Symptom Reporting and Quality of Life in the Estonian Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy Trial

Overview

Journal BMC Womens Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Gynecology & Obstetrics

Date 2008 Mar 28

PMID 18366766

Citations 10

Authors

Piret Veerus

Krista Fischer

Sirpa-Liisa Hovi

Helle Karro

Mati Rahu

Elina Hemminki

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy on women's symptom reporting and quality of life in a randomized trial.

Methods: 1823 women participated in the Estonian Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy (EPHT) Trial between 1999 and 2004. Women were randomized to open-label continuous combined hormone therapy or no treatment, or to blind hormone therapy or placebo. The average follow-up period was 3.6 years. Prevalence of symptoms and quality of life according to EQ-5D were assessed by annually mailed questionnaires.

Results: In the hormone therapy arms, less women reported hot flushes (OR 0.20; 95% CI: 0.14-0.28), sweating (OR 0.56; 95% CI: 0.44-0.72), and sleeping problems (OR 0.66; 95% CI: 0.52-0.84), but more women reported episodes of vaginal bleeding (OR 19.65; 95% CI: 12.15-31.79). There was no difference between the trial arms in the prevalence of other symptoms over time. Quality of life did not depend on hormone therapy use.

Conclusion: Postmenopausal hormone therapy decreased vasomotor symptoms and sleeping problems, but increased episodes of vaginal bleeding, and had no effect on quality of life.

Trial Registration Number: ISRCTN35338757.

Citing Articles

Long-term hormone therapy for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.

Marjoribanks J, Farquhar C, Roberts H, Lethaby A, Lee J Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017; 1:CD004143.

PMID: 28093732 PMC: 6465148. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004143.pub5.

Effect of characteristics of women on attendance in blind and non-blind randomised trials: analysis of recruitment data from the EPHT Trial.

Veerus P, Fischer K, Hemminki E, Hovi S, Hakama M BMJ Open. 2016; 6(10):e011099.

PMID: 27797984 PMC: 5073501. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011099.

Analysis of personality traits and their influence on the quality of life of postmenopausal women with regard to genetic factors.

Schneider-Matyka D, Jurczak A, Samochowiec A, Karakiewicz B, Szkup M, Grzywacz A Ann Gen Psychiatry. 2016; 15(1):25.

PMID: 27610188 PMC: 5015346. DOI: 10.1186/s12991-016-0110-6.

Hormone therapy for preventing cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women.

Boardman H, Hartley L, Eisinga A, Main C, Roque I Figuls M, Bonfill Cosp X Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015; (3):CD002229.

PMID: 25754617 PMC: 10183715. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002229.pub4.

Prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence among Estonian postmenopausal women.

Kirss F, Lang K, Toompere K, Veerus P Springerplus. 2013; 2:524.

PMID: 24171152 PMC: 3806982. DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-2-524.

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