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November 18, 2015
HRT Appears to Improve Kidney Function in
Postmenopausal Women

Rochester, MN—Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is usually prescribed to women to help control postmenopausal symptoms and to decrease the risk of osteoporosis. A new study, however, finds another benefit: improving kidney function in postmenopausal women.

The research was presented earlier this month at the American Society of Nephrology’s Kidney Week 2015 in San Diego.

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic focused on 2,217 postmenopausal women who participated in the Family Blood Pressure Program, a multinetwork study aimed at analyzing the genetics of hypertension. Of the participants, 673 women were taking hormone replacements, while 1,544 were not.

According to the results of the review, the prevalence of two markers of kidney disease—microalbuminuria and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate—was significantly lower in women who were taking HRT as compared with women who were not—3.5 versus 5.2 mg/g.

After adjusting for known risk factors for kidney and cardiovascular disease, the use of HRT remained significantly associated with lower levels of microalbuminuria. Women not using HRT had an odds 1.6 times greater than those on HRT of having urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR) greater than 25 mg/g Cr. After adjustment, the association between HRT and estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 ml/min/1.73m2 was no longer found to be significant, however.

“The risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women are still an area of active debate, and the effect of hormone replacement therapy on the kidney has shown variable results,” said lead presenter Andrea Kattah, MD. “Clarifying the role of hormones on kidney function may have implications for explaining gender differences in chronic kidney disease, counseling women on the use of hormone replacement therapy, and future therapeutic targets for patients with chronic kidney disease.”

Study authors note that strengths of their study were the large sample size and a comprehensive medical history of subjects, although study authors had limited information on the how long the participants, all recruited on the basis of hypertension, had been on hormone replacement therapy.



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