| Background: Menopausal women are becoming increasingly aware that recent studies have highlighted concerns about the adverse effects arising from the long-term use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Objective: To ascertain whether patients are interested in obtaining information about HRT from chiropractic clinics. Methods: A case study of 12 Australian chiropractic clinics was undertaken. Maximum variation sampling of clinics and convenience sampling of patients resulted in a study sample of 781 patients. Patients were asked whether they would be interested in receiving health information brochures on various topics. Interested patients were provided with brochures, and follow-up phone calls were made to inquire into the impact of the health information on their lifestyle. Results: One in three patients requested brochures; 70% were female. Of these, 25% requested information on menopause and 31% on osteoporosis-related fractures. Three quarters or more of females who took a brochure on menopause and/or osteoporotic fractures were peri- or post-menopausal. Follow-up phone calls confirmed that some patients had made lifestyle changes. In a few cases these persisted for 12 or more months. Discussion: Chiropractic patients are interested in obtaining information on managing menopause and avoiding the complications of osteoporosis. Current recommendations regarding the use of HRT are summarised, and alternative approaches to managing climacteric symptoms and the declining bone mass of menopause are reviewed. Conclusions: With increasing concern about the long-term use of HRT, it is anticipated that chiropractic physicians will need to stay abreast of developments in this area. This abstract is reproduced with the permission of the publisher; Full text (print only) by subscription.
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