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Hormone Replacement Therapy Boosts Visual Function In Women

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) improves visual function but does not modify intraocular pressure, researchers in Italy have found.

Eighty postmenopausal women, aged 52 years to 70 years, participated in this study by Dr S Guaschino and colleagues from the University of Trieste, IRCCS Burlo Garofolo.

Forty women were randomly assigned to treatment with oral HRT (equine conjugated estrogens 0.625 mg/day + dydrogesterone 5 mg/day in a continuous combined regimen) while the remaining 40 were untreated and served as controls.

At baseline and then again one year after the beginning of the study, each woman underwent a contrast sensitivity test, a Schirmer test and an evaluation of intraocular pressure, with statistical analysis done by Student's test and Fisher's exact test.

Overall, at one year after the start of treatment, contrast sensitivity function was significantly improved in all spatial frequencies (1.5, 3, 6 and 12 cycles per degree) with the exception of 18 cycles per degree in the HRT group. However, the women in the control group demonstrated significant impairment at the lowest spatial frequencies (1.5, 3, and 6 cycles per degree).

In the HRT versus control group, tear production was also significantly improved at one year after beginning the treatment.

Intraocular pressure was similar in the two groups both at the beginning of the study and after one year.
Menopause 2003;10:1:53-7. "Visual function in menopause: the role of hormone replacement therapy."

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