Misleading information concerning hormone replacement therapy

In another systematic review (pages 163–168) Beda Hartmann and Johannes Huber identified reports in the English and German literature relevant to perceived contraindications to hormone replacement therapy. The authors concentrated on cardiovascular disease, diabetes, endometriosis, liver diseases, otosclerosis, melanoma and hormone-dependent tumours, all of which were stated to be contra-indications to hormone replacement therapy in the pharmaceutical data sheets of five commonly used oral preparations. The authors found that in each condition the contraindications had been taken uncritically from the data sheets of oral contraceptives, whereas the available evidence gives no support to these contraindications, and actually suggests that in some instances hormone replacement therapy may be beneficial; it may even be considered in certain women with treated breast or endometrial cancer. Hartmann and Huber suggest that because of the misleading information in data sheets many women are not receiving hormone replacement therapy who would benefit from it, and urge pharmaceutical companies to give more accurate information.