Interesting to see how this study is being reported in the US - with a strong sceptics versus the establishment slant:
"These findings contradicted almost all medical expectations and call into question literally stacks of previous studies... Most people believed the HRT question was essentially settled; this latest study would offer the final proof. But with an editorial in the Journal of the American Medical Association announcing "Do not use estrogen/progestin to prevent chronic disease," long-vilified hormone skeptics scored a big win this week.
None of these skeptics is more prominent, less surprised, or has been more attacked than Dr. Susan Love, a researcher, medical activist, and former breast cancer surgeon at Harvard and UCLA... Love had been treated by much of the medical establishment as a dangerous New Age nut who'd forgotten to get out of the menstrual hut in time to take her own estrogen... [ignoring] seemingly persuasive studies showing that taking HRT was one of the best things older women could do to prevent their number one cause of death: heart disease."
http://www.slate.msn.com/?id=2067940
David
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David Steven
River Path Associates
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-----Original Message-----
From: Ward, Bob [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 10 July 2002 10:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: HRT study
I wonder whether anybody has any thoughts about today's coverage of the
study into the risks associated with the use of Prempro, a type of hormone
replacement therapy. Let us use 'The Times' as an example. The front page
headline is:
HRT is linked to breast cancer: US study is halted after health fears rise;
Patients suffer 41% increase in stroke risk; 22% increase in risk of heart
disease
Sounds scary doesn't it? But let us look at what these mean in terms of
absolute risks. According to my calculations, the risk associated with
stroke rose from 0.19% to 0.27%. The risk associated with heart disease
increased from 0.32% to 0.39%. Or put another way, among 10,000 women, the
number of cases of stroke would rise from 19 to 27 and the number of cases
of heart disease would increase from 32 to 39.
Many of the newspapers did express the increased risk in terms of additional
cases per 10,000 women, although they did not explicitly point out the
incidence in the control group. I haven't heard or seen much of the
broadcast coverage, but I am assuming that it was similar.
It would be particularly useful to hear the thoughts of some ABSW members on
the list - I know many have very strong feelings about any members of the
scientific community criticising the way that health and science is covered
in the media, but perhaps I could risk incurring their wrath by asking if
they think the coverage has been misleading in any way.
Bob Ward
Senior Manager
Press and Public Relations
Royal Society
6-9 Carlton House Terrace
London
SW1Y 5AG
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7451 2516
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7451 2615
Mobile: +44 (0) 7811 320346
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