Study inspires caution.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Many women are understandably worried, confused, frightened - and angered - by the sudden announcement this week that hormone replacement therapy can cause serious health risks.

While women needn't panic, they should pay careful attention to the risks of hormone replacement therapy. Researchers say the drugs increase a woman's risk of contracting breast cancer - the finding of greatest concern - by less than a tenth of a percent per year. There is also a small but significant increase in the risk of heart attacks, blood clots and strokes.

Now, more than 6 million American women face a hard decision: Should they stop taking drugs that, in some cases, have significantly improved their quality of life? Do the small but real risks outweigh the potential benefits? These are questions that women and their physicians must now carefully consider.

Meanwhile, men and women alike should also carefully consider how aggressive marketing by the drug industry, accompanied by an understandable eagerness on the part of patients and doctors, can result in widespread use of drugs in ways that outpace scientific research.

Hormone therapies were originally approved to treat symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and night sweats, and have proven effective for those purposes. Subsequent drug company promotions offered the tantalizing possibility that that estrogen was a miracle potion that could keep women youthful, attractive and help stave off the aging process.

The marketing effort revealed as much about the pharmaceutical industry's relentless search for profits as it did our culture's obsession with youth and its mortal fear of aging. The wake-up call came when scientists halted a major federal study on the therapy after concluding that it posed more risks than benefits.

It's a cautionary tale for Americans, who are bombarded by promises of cures for whatever ails them. A healthy skepticism is advisable when contemplating advertisements for magic pills that promise eternal happiness or youth.

Doctors, too, should balance their patients' insistence on heavily promoted drugs with their knowledge of the research - or, often, the lack of it. That's especially true in the area of women's medical issues, although the study that led to last week's announcement was a heartening departure from the neglectful norm.

Women affected by the announcement should consult their physicians and weigh the risks and benefits. Worry, confusion, fear - and anger - should yield to careful reflection and sound, healthful decisions.