Increased cardiac and stroke death risk in the first year after discontinuation of postmenopausal hormone therapy

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Minttu Venetkoski1, Hanna Savolainen-Peltonen1,2, Päivi Rahkola-Soisalo1

  • 1University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki, Finland.

Menopause (New York, N.Y.)
|November 8, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Discontinuing postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) may increase cardiac and stroke death risks in women under 60 during the first year after stopping treatment. These risks appear to diminish after the initial post-treatment year.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Endocrinology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT) is widely used for managing menopausal symptoms.
  • The cardiovascular implications of discontinuing HT require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the risk of cardiac and stroke deaths in women discontinuing postmenopausal hormone therapy (HT).

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of cardiac and cerebrovascular death risks in Finnish women (n=432,775) who discontinued systemic HT between 1994-2013.
  • Comparison with age-matched female background population and HT users.
  • Exclusion of women with pre-existing cardiac or cerebrovascular events.

Main Results:

  • Women under 60 discontinuing HT showed significantly increased cardiac and stroke death risks in the first year post-treatment compared to the general population.
  • Risks were even higher when compared to age-matched HT users.
  • Increased mortality risks were confined to the first year after HT discontinuation.

Conclusions:

  • Discontinuation of postmenopausal HT may be linked to elevated cardiac and stroke death risks in the initial post-treatment year.
  • Further research is needed to establish causality for these observed associations.
Abstract

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