A study, recently released in the Annals of Internal Medicine, found that combination hormone therapy increases the risk of heart disease in healthy postmenopausal women. Researchers report a trend toward an increased risk of heart disease during the first two years of hormone therapy among women who began therapy within 10 years of menopause, and a more marked elevation of risk among women who began hormone therapy more than 10 years after menopause.
The study was conducted by the Women's Health Initiative, which is sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health.
"Today, most women who take hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms begin therapy shortly after menopause. Based on today's report, even these women appear to be at increased risk of heart disease for several years after starting combination hormone therapy," Susan B. Shurin, M.D., NHLBI acting director told ScienceDaily. "It is clearer than ever that women who are considering postmenopausal hormone therapy for menopausal symptoms should discuss their risk of heart disease and other risks -- such as breast cancer, stroke, and dangerous blood clots -- with their doctors before starting therapy."
Combination hormone therapy includes progestin in combination with estrogen. Adding progestin is known to prevent endometrial cancer in women with a uterus. These new findings do not apply to women who have had a hysterectomy and take estrogen-only hormone therapy. Similar analyses on the results of the clinical trial of estrogen only therapy are planned.
Study confirms combination hormone therapy increases risk of heart disease originally appeared on About.com Menopause on Thursday, February 18th, 2010 at 11:48:08.
