Owing to variations in absorption, some women require off-label (high) doses of oestrogen to achieve levels needed for menopausal symptom relief and bone protection.

New research has shown that off-label doses of transdermal oestradiol (oestrogen), which is delivered through the skin in a patch, gel or spray, are unlikely to increase risk of clot.

Some women may have been led to believe that they can’t take HRT due to an increased risk of blood clot, however while oral oestrogen has been associated with a small increased risk, transdermal types of oestradiol are not.

Newson Research studied 3,863 perimenopausal and menopausal women using transdermal oestradiol, including 22% using off-label (higher) doses. It found the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) was low and similar to that in the background population, suggesting off-label doses are unlikely to increase VTE risk.

A poster detailing the research was presented at the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) Congress in Valencia, Spain, this month and is available to download.

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