Around one in three perimenopausal women are offered or prescribed antidepressants and anxiolytics (anti-anxiety medications) for negative mood symptoms, despite their being no evidence of benefit in this cohort.

New research has found that HRT may be a more appropriate treatment for menopausal negative mood symptoms than antidepressants or anxiolytic medication.

Newson Research looked at the effect of taking HRT on 1,081 perimenopausal and menopausal women who were already receiving antidepressants. After three months of taking HRT, the study found:

• 39% of patients had either reduced or discontinued their antidepressant/anxiolytic medication

• Discontinuation rates were almost double among women using testosterone with their HRT

This study highlights the need for tailored, individualised perimenopause and menopause care, which may remove or reduce the need for less appropriate treatments that can be associated with side effects and long-term harms.

A poster detailing the research was presented at the European Menopause and Andropause Society (EMAS) Congress in Valencia, Spain, this month, and can be downloaded.

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