INITIATION OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY AFTER DIAGNOSIS OF OSTEOPOROSIS BY BONE DENSITOMETRY

The effect of osteoporosis, as diagnosed by bone densitometry, on gene ral practitioners' decisions to initiate hormone replacement therapy ( HRT) was assessed. Data for the study were collected by questionnaire from 147 women (> 40 years), previously referred for measurement of bo ne mineral density (BMD) at the proximal forearm. Among the women, at the time of BMD measurement, current and ever use of HRT was 35% and 5 0% respectively, and 25.2% were osteoporotic on the basis of their BMD level. HRT was more likely to be initiated by women who were told tha t their BMD was low (ODR 3.4; 95% CI 1.2-9.7); 35% of all women with o steoporosis were using HRT compared with 78% who were taking calcium s upplements. Potential reasons for the low HRT prescription may include the nature of the BMD report, patient aversion to HRT and doctors' co ncern with the long-term side-effects of HRT.