[Menopausal hormone treatment in 2011]

In this review article an update of the menopause hormone therapy is presented (MHT). MHT is the most efficient therapy for climacteric symptoms. It prevents also osteoporosis. Nevertheless, since prolonged use is associated with increased health risks, other therapies, combined with calcium and vitamin D, are preferred for women who suffer from osteoporosis without climacteric symptoms. Increased breast cancer risk has been reported, after 5 years of use, in women treated with a fixed combined regimen of oestrogen and progestin (0,625 mg conjugated estrogens (CEE) + 5 mg de medroxyprogesteron acetate (MPA) (WHI-EP), while a reduced risk has been reported in women using oestrogen only (0,625 mg conjugated estrogens) (WHI-E). In women without risk factors, the attributable risk of suffering from a stroke or thromboembolism, following using MHT, is slow in women younger than 60 years of age. While, MHT (WHI-EP), was associated with an increased risk of coronary disease, in women who started their treatment around the age of 67 years, oestrogen only treatment (WHI-E), has been associated with a reduced coronary risk in women who initiated the therapy at a younger age (between 50-60 years), suggesting that the risks vary in relation to the used regimen and the treated population.