It seems that many ladies are really upset and worried with possible repercussions, if GPs/NHS change their view/policy on the prescription of HRT, based on this study (not the headlines, please).
Even it if happens, it's unlikely that GPs will ask you to stop HRT. These are general guidelines for public health policy, but there are also specific guidelines for individuals, that NICE and Menopause Societies are probably revising as we speak, and they will address the many cases when HRT is necessary (premature ovarian insufficiency, surgical menopause, familial history of osteoporosis). For those women who have debilitating symptoms that are not regarded as specific medical conditions related to hormone deficiency, i.e. natural menopause, HRT will still be recommended when other approaches have failed. Each woman, as an individual, has a different medical history, and considering that menopause can affect underlying conditions, in the end, there are many other factors that will be taken into account when deciding for the use of HRT.
I personally don't think there will be a significant change for individual cases.
Another paper (also analysing data from an Oxford study) have hit the headlines this week, ‘Vegans and vegetarians may have higher stroke risks'
https://www.bbc.com/news/health-49579820 . If you read the actual study
https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l4897 and the commissioned article ‘Report of an increased stroke risk should be explored by researchers and kept under review for guidelines'
https://www.bmj.com/content/366/bmj.l5272' you won't notice anything out of the ordinary. There are no vegans and veggies feeling outraged by the study. I'm vegetarian and I won't start eating meat because of this study. Being vegetarian must have risks, the same goes for taking HRT, but both have benefits, lower rates of ischaemic heart disease for vegetarians, better quality of life for HRT users. Everything in life comes in packages, full of good and bad things. Nothing is perfect.
I honestly think that GPs are not going to crucify HRT as it happened after the WHI trial, for the simple reason that there's a lot more information available and more importantly, accessible, now. Not only for GPs but for patients as well.
BeaR.