Hormone replacement therapy--finally, good data.

In recent decades, long-term use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been widely and heavily promoted as a prophylaxis against heart disease and other illnesses. Millions of women have taken these medications based on their physicians’ recommendations, which were made despite the absence of data from clinical trials demonstrating benefit. Belief in a protective effect of HRT against heart disease was based on the results of observational studies, the effect of HRT on selected lipid and other parameters, and the widely held but unsubstantiated belief that endogenous female hormones protect women against coronary heart disease.