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Post-Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy and Heart Disease

Confused about the relationship between estrogen use in post-menopausal women and the incidence of heart disease?  You are not alone. 

For years, doctors recommended estrogen therapy to prevent heart disease in post-menopausal women. Results from a recent clinical trial, the Women’s Health Initiative, found that estrogen use increased the risk of blood clots, stroke, and breast cancer, and did not lower the risk of heart disease among post-menopausal women.  Since then, the American Heart Association (AHA) has recommended that hormones not be used for cardiovascular disease prevention.  Instead, the AHA suggests that women focus on other strategies for preventing cardiovascular disease, such as controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, quitting tobacco use, being physically active, and eating a heart-healthy diet.  In addition, the Food and Drug Administration suggests that hormone therapy only be used at the lowest dose and for the shortest duration for women at significant risk for osteoporosis, when non-hormonal therapies are not appropriate. 

If you are currently taking hormones for post-menopausal symptoms, talk with your physician about the risks and other potential treatment options.   

To learn more visit the Women’s Health Initiative website at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/index.html