Guidelines developed for use in counseling postmenopausal women on the use of long-term hormone replacement therapy as a means of preventing disease and prolonging life have been issued by the American College of Physicians. The guidelines suggest beginning long-term therapy (15 to 20 years) at menopause to reduce the risks of coronary heart disease and osteoporosis. Because many of the diseases that may be prevented by hormone treatment occur later in life, beginning treatment in older women also may prove beneficial, the report says.
