Among recently menopausal women, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with both oestrogen and progestin, showed a slight non-significant increase in risk of coronary heart disease within the first few years of use in a new analysis of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI).
The increase in risk of around 29% during the first two years of use, disappeared after six years of use, and with longer use there appeared to be a possible cardioprotective effect of HRT.
The researchers say the results should not affect current recommendations for women to take HRT, if required, to relieve menopausal symptoms, but to use it at the lowest dose and for the shortest time possible. The analysis is published in the February 16th issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine (Ann Intern Med 2010;152:211–17).
The results of this new WHI analysis appear to be in conflict with a recent statement from the International Menopause Society and the European Society of Cardiology, which says there is a trend that HRT is cardioprotective in younger women. (Climacteric 2009;12:368–77).
