Hormone Therapy Does Not Reduce Risk of Death

A decade ago or more, hormone replacement therapy was thought to give women relief from menopausal symptoms while offering protection against heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer.  However, it was later found that HRT could actually increase a women’s risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots and breast cancer.

Researchers who reviewed 19 trials on more than 40,000 postmenopausal women averaging an age of 64, found that hormone therapy does not reduce the risk of death due to clots in the veins or lungs, heart attacks or strokes.   Hormone therapy was instead found to increase the risk of cardiovascular events in postmenopausal women with and without previous cardiovascular disease. The results of the review were published in the March 10, 2015 issue of the Cochrane Library.

Hormone Replacement Therapy is commonly used to treat women experiencing menopausal symptoms. Women who started HRT within the first 10 years of menopause may have a small protection against death and heart attacks and no increased risk of stroke, however the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) increases.

The trials were conducted on both relatively healthy women (9 trials) and those with cardiovascular disease (10 trials).   Hormone therapy included estrogen alone or in combination with progestogen and were compared with either a placebo or no treatment.

The Mayo Clinic recommends that women who have already suffered a heart attack, have heart disease or a history of blood clots, not take hormone therapy because the risk “clearly outweighs any potential benefit”. Patients should discuss with their medical practitioner the risk and benefits of HRT which vary depending on age and existing medical conditions.