$11 million allocated to HRT study

Adelaide University has been awarded the Australian arm of a major international study to examine the long-term effects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

The study is claimed to be the world's biggest and longest randomised clinical trial, stretching over 22 years and involving 36,000 women internationally.

The Medical Research Council in the UK has already awarded more than $1 million to the Adelaide research team, with a further $10 million to follow. The team is headed by Associate Professor Alastair MacLennan (Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology) and Professor John Marley (Department of General Practice).

The project, known as WISDOM (Women's International Study of long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause), will see the Adelaide team joining an international effort to study up to 36,000 women aged 50 to 69 years.

These women will receive 10 years of treatment and will be followed up for a further 10 years. All types of outcomes will be assessed, including quality of life, heart attacks, fractures, dementia, cancer and even death.

"Such a large trial is necessary to inform women throughout the world whether or not they should take long-term oestrogen replacement therapy after menopause," says Dr MacLennan, the chairman of WISDOM Australia.

"This will be a landmark trial in women's health, and Australia will make a major contribution to this international research having secured significant overseas funding for the trial", he says.

Dr MacLennan says postmenopausal women in South Australia aged 50 to 69 will be contacted over the next 18 months by their general practitioner with the offer of further detailed information.