A Womens Health Initiative study of 27,329 postmenopausal women randomized to receive either estrogen, estrogen plus progestin, or placebo has revealed that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) does not increase the risk of developing RA or worsen the severity of the disease in women with RA. The study, as reported in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research, tracked its subjects for seven years. It found no significant differences in RA incidence for those treated with HRT compared to placebo and no worsening of symptoms for those in which RA was prevalent. The study was the largest analysis to address HRT use and RA.
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