The association of hormone replacement therapy with experimental pain responses in postmenopausal women

Considerable experimental research suggests that ovarian hormones can influ ence pain perception, and recent epidemiologic and clinical research sugges ts that exogenous hormone use may influence the prevalence and severity of clinical pain among women. However, to date no studies have examined the in fluence of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on experimental pain responses and recent pain complaints among postmenopausal women. In this study, self -reported recent pain and general health were obtained, and thermal pain re sponses were assessed in three groups of healthy older adults: (1) women on HRT. (2) women not on HRT (No-HRT), and (3) men. Results indicated no grou p differences in recent pain complaints or self-reported health. but differ ences emerged for measures of thermal pain perception. Specifically, HRT wo men showed lower pain thresholds and tolerances than No-HRT women and men, and the latter two groups did not differ from each other. The potential exp lanations and limitations of the observed findings are discussed. (C) 2001 international Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier Scie nce B.V. All rights reserved.