LONDON: An expert on women health believes hormone therapy, given at the right time, can protect against heart disease, despite a study four years ago linking it to an increase in heart attacks and strokes.

Professor Virginia Miller of the US Mayo Clinic College of Medicine believes timing is key and menopausal women given hormone replacement therapy (HRT) early are likely to benefit from a reduced risk of heart disease.

Leaving treatment until 10 years or so after the menopause, however, may be counter-productive.