Estimated numbers of postmenopausal women treated by hormone therapy in France

Although WHI results have been criticized by French professional societies based on the fact that treatments used were different in France - mainly transdermal estrogens - and that French postmenopausal women were at lower vascular risk than those of the WHI, the release of this study had effect on the prescription before the French regulatory agency (AFSSAPS) edited limiting recommendations for HT prescription. Further efforts have to be made to collect systematically information on preventive treatments used at menopause followed by evaluation studies.