Women taking HT had a significantly decreased incidence of fracture with long-term use .
Research ers found no strong evidence that HT has a clinical ly meaningful impact on the incidence of colorectal cancer .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS : Women with intolerable menopausal symptoms may wish to weigh the benefits of symptom relief against the small absolute risk of harm arising from short-term use of low-dose HT , provided they do not have specific contraindications .
HT may be unsuitable for some women , including those at increased risk of cardiovascular disease , increased risk of thromboembolic disease ( such as those with obesity or a history of venous thrombosis ) or increased risk of some types of cancer ( such as breast cancer , in women with a uterus ) .
The risk of endometrial cancer among women with a uterus taking oestrogen-only HT is well documented .
HT is not indicated for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease or dementia , nor for prevention of deterioration of cognitive function in postmenopausal women .
Although HT is considered effective for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis , it is generally recommended as an option only for women at significant risk for whom non-oestrogen therapies are unsuitable .
BACKGROUND : Hormone therapy ( HT ) is widely provided for control of menopausal symptoms and has been used for the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease , osteoporosis and  dementia in older women .
This is an up date d version of a Cochrane review first published in 2005 .
OBJECTIVES : To assess effects of long-term HT ( at least 1 year 's duration ) on mortality , cardiovascular outcomes , cancer , gallbladder disease , fracture and cognition in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women during and after cessation of treatment .
The Women's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging (WHISCA): a randomized clinical trial of the effects of hormone therapy on age-associated cognitive decline
The Women 's Health Initiative Study of Cognitive Aging ( WHISCA ) was a two armed , r and omized , placebo controlled , clinical trial design ed to assess the efficacy of postmenopausal hormone therapy on age related changes in specific cognitive functions . WHISCA was an ancillary study to the Women 's Health Initiative ( WHI ) and the WHI Memory Study ( WHIMS ) and enrolled 2302 women aged 66 to 84 years ( mean 73.9 ; st and ard deviation 3.8 ) who did not meet criteria for dementia . Women were r and omly assigned by the WHI to hormone treatment ( unopposed conjugated estrogens ( CEE ) 0.625 mg/day if they were without a uterus ; CEE combined with medroxyprogesterone acetate ( MPA ) 2.5 mg/day otherwise ) or placebo for an average of three years before the first WHISCA assessment . WHISCA investigated the effects of hormone therapy on rates of change over time in memory , other aspects of cognition ( language , attention , spatial ability ) , motor function , and mood . In this paper , we present the study rationale and design , including specific cognitive measures , and the challenges of incorporating WHISCA into an ongoing r and omized trial . WHISCA provided a unique opportunity to investigate the potential of hormone therapy to modify age related changes in specific cognitive functions . WHISCA also demonstrated the feasibility of adding a detailed cognitive assessment into an ongoing clinical trial to address an important issue in women 's health , despite the challenges of maintaining the integrity of the parent studies , ensuring high retention , and achieving high quality assurance across sites
Women taking HT had a significantly decreased incidence of fracture with long-term use .
Research ers found no strong evidence that HT has a clinical ly meaningful impact on the incidence of colorectal cancer .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS : Women with intolerable menopausal symptoms may wish to weigh the benefits of symptom relief against the small absolute risk of harm arising from short-term use of low-dose HT , provided they do not have specific contraindications .
HT may be unsuitable for some women , including those at increased risk of cardiovascular disease , increased risk of thromboembolic disease ( such as those with obesity or a history of venous thrombosis ) or increased risk of some types of cancer ( such as breast cancer , in women with a uterus ) .
The risk of endometrial cancer among women with a uterus taking oestrogen-only HT is well documented .
HT is not indicated for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease or dementia , nor for prevention of deterioration of cognitive function in postmenopausal women .
Although HT is considered effective for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis , it is generally recommended as an option only for women at significant risk for whom non-oestrogen therapies are unsuitable .
BACKGROUND : Hormone therapy ( HT ) is widely provided for control of menopausal symptoms and has been used for the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease , osteoporosis and  dementia in older women .
This is an up date d version of a Cochrane review first published in 2005 .
OBJECTIVES : To assess effects of long-term HT ( at least 1 year 's duration ) on mortality , cardiovascular outcomes , cancer , gallbladder disease , fracture and cognition in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women during and after cessation of treatment .