Experts fall out over HRT guidelines

An influential group of doctors is split over the safety of hormone replacement therapy as a growing row emerges about what advice to give women.

They drew up the guidelines in the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' new book, Menopause and Hormone Replacement, recommending HRT should not generally be used for longer than five years or only to prevent osteoporosis.

But now five of the consultantssay that they reject the five-year recommendation and that HRT should indeed be prescribed to prevent osteoporosis.

Others in the group defended the guidelines. Oxford University's Professor Valerie Beral, co-leader of the group, said: "This new report clearly lays out the risks and benefits associated with taking HRT."