Source: Circulation  |  Posted 11 years ago

By Ed Susman
Special to DG News

ORLANDO, FL -- March 21, 2001 -- Women who are taking the selective estrogen receptor modulator, raloxifene, to prevent osteoporosis appear to avoid any possible cardiovascular damage from the drug.
On the other hand, raloxifene does not appear to provide any heart benefits either-at least in the first three years of use, researchers said today (March 21) at the 50th annual scientific session of the American College of Cardiology, in Orlando, Florida, United States.
"These results of the MORE (Multiple Outcomes of Raloxifene Evaluation) should be reassuring to women," said Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, California, US.
Dr. Barrett-Connor said researchers have been concerned, following a number of studies, that treatment with hormone replacement therapy might have deleterious effects on the heart. These results have confounded doctors who had expected that hormone replacement among postmenopausal women would be protective, just as estrogen is protective against heart disease among younger women.
But the studies did not find this to be true. "This has been a great surprise to clinicians," said Robert Vogel, MD, of the University of Maryland, in Baltimore, Maryland. "A number of trials have shown that the progression of disease is not reduced by hormone replacement therapy and now we find that these new