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Symptom reporting and quality of life in the Estonian Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy Trial
Piret Veerus1, Krista Fischer, Sirpa-Liisa Hovi
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, National Institute for Health Development, Hiiu 42, 11619 Tallinn, Estonia. piret.veerus@tai.ee
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.
