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First here's a just released story that reports that cataracts are reduced 50% in woman on hormone replacement therapy.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Reduces Risk of Cataracts in Post-Menopausal Women
By Cameron Johnston
By Cameron Johnston
MADRID, SPAIN -- June 11, 2003 -- Women who do not use hormone replacement therapy are twice as likely to develop lens opacities, and cataracts compared with women who do use HRT/oestrogen, say researchers. According to investigators at the Pomeranian Medical University, in Szczecin, Poland, the differences can be seen after as little as 1 year of HRT use, and in women as young as 50 years of age.
The investigators, from the university's department of ophthalmology looked at 300 women, 150 of whom were on HRT and 150 who were not. At baseline, the women were all evaluated for visual acuity and underwent a slit-lamp biomicroscopy. They were also given a full ophthalmic examination with dilated pupils. They were evaluated for 8 different levels or grades of cataract or lens opacity.
The differences in the prevalence of cataract and lens opacities was striking for most measures. Cataract of any type was seen in 48.7% of the women not using HRT compared with 20.7% of those on HRT. Subcapcular cataracts were seen in 8.3% of those not using HRT, but not in any women using HRT.
Lens opacities of any type were seen in 39.8% of the non-HRT group and in 15% of the HRT group. These figures were all statistically significant.
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And now here is an article on a more serious, less treatable, cause of blindness in the elderly, macular degeneration.
HRT May Reduce Progression of Age-Related Maculopathy Degeneration
Laurie Barclay, MD
Laurie Barclay, MD
Dec. 13, 2002 — Postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may reduce progression of age-related maculopathy (ARM), according to the results of a cross-sectional study reported in the December issue of the American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Logistic regression analysis revealed that women with ARM who had used postmenopausal HRT in the past had half the risk of advanced ARM than did those who had never used HRT, after controlling for other known and potential risk factors.
Am J Ophthalmol. 2002;134:842-848
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