A report presented to the World Congress on the Menopause in Madrid this week concludes that HRT is safe and effective for women aged 50 to 59 who are in the early years of their menopause. It is a view that contradicts research published within the last six years so what should we believe? It is estimated that one million British women have stopped taking HRT because some researchers have linked it to an increase in heart disease and breast cancer. Current guidelines to British women not to take HRT beyond five years is "illogical and doing women a disservice" and the five year limit should be lifted say Madrid delegates. To discuss the HRT dilemma, Jenni is joined by Dr Tony Mander of the British Menopause Society and by Professor Valerie Beral of the Cancer Epidemiology Unit at Oxford University who has done research into the risks associated with taking HRT.
