LAUSANNE (Dispatches) - New research suggests hormone therapy may improve bone health in women at risk of Osteoporosis, a progressive disease in which bones become weaker and more likely to break.
A new study - conducted by researchers from the Lausanne University Hospital in Switzerland – has investigated for the first time whether menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) can also improve bone mass and structure.
They collected data from the OsteoLaus cohort, which comprised of 1,279 women living in Lausanne, aged between 50-80 years.
Researchers divided participants into three categories: 22 percent underwent MHT during the study, 30 percent had benefited from MHT before the treatment, and 48 percent had never had MHT.
Scientists used dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans of the patients' lumbar spine, femoral neck, and hip to evaluate bone mineral density. Based on the scans, the women were given a Trabecular Bone Score, which measured the quality of their bone structure. The Trabecular Bone Score is normally used to predict fracture risk in postmenopausal women.
The main variables considered in the study were age and body mass index (BMI). The study also adjusted for the patients' history of fractures, as well as supplement intakes, such as calcium and vitamin D.

The study has shown for the first time that MHT improves bone mass and structure.
Results also indicated that bone health benefits induced by MHT persist for at least 2 years after women cease the treatment.
"When used in the right context, specifically in postmenopausal women younger than60years old for whom the benefits outweigh risks, menopausal hormonal therapy is effective for both the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis," said  lead author of the study, Dr. Georgios Papadakis
Researchers found higher Trabecular Bone Scores in patients undergoing MHT at the time of the study, compared with past users of the therapy and participants who had never used MHT.
Osteoporosis occurs as a result of the imbalance between bone degradation and bone formation, and it affects an estimated 75 million people across Europe, United States, and Japan.
Men are also affected, as they, too, lose bone mass faster with older age. The International Osteoporosis Foundation report that 1 in 5 men men over 50 will have an osteoporosis-induced fracture.