According to a study led by Duke Health researchers, post-menopausal women on hormone replacement therapy had a lower risk of developing a painful shoulder condition known as adhesive capsulitis than women who did not receive estrogen.
The study – a collaboration between Dr. Jocelyn Wittstein and Obstetrics & Gynecology – was presented on Oct. 12 at the meeting of the North American Menopause Society meeting in Atlanta.
“Estrogen plays a role in stimulating bone growth, reducing inflammation, and promoting connective tissue integrity,” notes Jocelyn Wittstein, M.D., associate professor in Duke’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Not using systemic hormone therapy was associated with a higher risk of adhesive capsulitis in our retrospective cohort study.”