Hormone replacement therapy and glucose tolerance in EPIC-Norfolk: a population-based study

✍ Scribed by Lincoln A. Sargeant; Nicholas J. Wareham; Kay-Tee Khaw

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 86 KB
• Volume: 16
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1520-7552
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-7560(200001/02)16:1<20::aid-dmrr76>3.0.co;2-a

✦ Synopsis

Background Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can affect glucose homeostasis in postmenopausal women but it is unclear whether long-term use is associated with changes in glucose tolerance. The objective was to examine the relationship of glycated haemoglobin (HbA 1C ) concentration with HRT use in non-diabetic postmenopausal women.

Methods A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data on 2753 postmenopausal women, aged 45±74 years who were recruited to the EPIC-Norfolk study between 1995 and 1998 was performed. Women completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire from which information on HRT use was obtained and gave blood for HbA 1C assay.

Results

Of the women, 23% were current HRT users and 14% were former users. Mean HbA 1C was signi®cantly lower in current users compared to former and never users. This difference was independent of age, body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), family history of diabetes, educational status, employment status, smoking history, history of alcohol consumption, parity, known illness and hysterectomy status. Compared to never users of HRT, the unadjusted odds ratio (OR) for being in the highest quintile of HbA 1C distribution as opposed to the lowest was 0.28 (95% CI 0.20±0.39) for current users and 0.41 (0.32±0.53) for ever users. After adjustment for confounders, the OR were 0.52 (0.34±0.79) and 0.72 (0.51±1.03) for current and ever users, respectively. Conclusion Women currently using HRT have lower HbA 1C levels not explained by known confounders though we cannot completely exclude a healthy user effect. Nevertheless, this population study suggest that current use of HRT was not associated with impairment of glucose tolerance in postmenopausal women.