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Hormone replacement therapy seems to prevent depression in women going through the menopause.

A study of 172 women without depression and aged between 45 and 60 has found that a year of HRT treatment can help stop symptoms of depression emerging in women who are entering the menopause or who are in the early stages of post-menopause.

The team found that HRT was more effective at this than a placebo, and seemed to have the most effect in women in the early stages of menopause, and those experiencing other life stresses.

“HRT reduced the proportion of women who experienced significant mood symptoms from about one in three to about one in six,” says , of King’s College London, who was not involved in the study.

“HRT is already recommended in the UK to treat symptoms of low mood during the menopause, so this research adds to the evidence by showing HRT can also prevent mood symptoms,” he says.

Read more: Why do women keep taking HRT despite breast cancer risks?