Risks and benefits of hormone replacement therapy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease

Study of the circulatory effects of ovarian hormones has become a subject of increasing interest with the promise of new treatment approaches for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Work with estrogens is the most extensive and does indicate the benefits outweigh the risks albeit we continue to await the findings of several large, prospective randomized trials. The addition of progestins does appear to be compromising but it is possible that an approach will be developed that is cardioprotective without increasing the cancer risk.