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An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause
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An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause

Published on: August 13, 2019

Postmenopausal hormone therapy and the risk of cardiovascular disease

Vera Bittner1

  • 1University of Alabama at Birmingham, Division of Cardiovascular Disease, 701 19th Street South - LHRB 310, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-0007, USA. vbittner@uab.edu

Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy
|July 1, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Postmenopausal hormone therapy risks outweigh benefits for older women. Insufficient data exists to recommend hormone therapy for cardiovascular disease prevention in younger women.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Science
  • Endocrinology
  • Women's Health

Background:

  • Postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) risks and benefits are controversial.
  • Major trials led to a 'Class III' designation for HT in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention by the American Heart Association.
  • Recent analyses suggest potential benefits for younger postmenopausal women.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Review randomized clinical trials on cardiovascular outcomes of HT.
  • Assess HT's impact on coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, and venous thromboembolism.

Main Methods:

  • Focus exclusively on cardiovascular effects of HT.
  • Literature search included original trial publications, post hoc analyses, and meta-analyses.
  • Detailed analysis of full-text English publications.

Main Results:

  • Risks associated with HT appear more significant in older postmenopausal women.
  • Data on cardiovascular outcomes in younger women is limited.
  • No definitive conclusions on HT for CVD prevention in younger women.

Conclusions:

  • HT risks seem to predominate in older postmenopausal women.
  • Current data is insufficient to support HT for cardiovascular disease prevention in younger women near menopause.
Abstract

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