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 .
Both raloxifene and estrogen reduce major cardiovascular risk factors in healthy postmenopausal women: A 2-year, placebo-controlled study.
Currently raloxifene , a selective estrogen receptor modulator , is being investigated as a potential alternative for postmenopausal hormone replacement to prevent osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease . We compared the 2-year effects of raloxifene on a wide range of cardiovascular risk factors with those of placebo and conjugated equine estrogens ( CEEs ) . Analyses were based on 56 hysterectomized but otherwise healthy postmenopausal women aged 54 . 8+/-3.5 ( mean+/-SD ) years who entered this double-blind study and who were r and omly assigned to raloxifene hydrochloride 60 mg/d ( n=15 ) or 150 mg/d ( n=13 ) , placebo ( n=13 ) , or CEEs 0.625 mg/d ( n=15 ) . At baseline and after 6 , 12 , and 24 months of treatment , we assessed serum lipids , blood pressure , glucose metabolism , C-reactive protein , and various hemostatic parameters . Compared with placebo , both raloxifene and CEEs lowered the level of low density lipoprotein cholesterol by 0.53 to 0.79 mmol/L ( all P<0.04 ) and lowered , at 24 months , the level of fibrinogen by 0.71 to 0.86 g/L ( all P<0.05 ) . The effects of raloxifene and CEEs did not differ significantly . In contrast to raloxifene , from 6 months on CEEs increased high density lipoprotein cholesterol by 0.25 to 0.29 mmol/L and reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen by 30.6 to 48.6 ng/mL ( all P<0.02 versus both placebo and raloxifene ) . CEEs transiently increased C-reactive protein by 1.0 mg/L at 6 months ( P<0.05 versus placebo ) and prothrombin-derived fragment F1 + 2 by 0 . 79 nmol/L at 12 months ( P<0.001 versus placebo ) . Finally , from 12 months on , CEEs increased triglycerides by 0.33 to 0.56 mmol/L ( all P<0.05 versus both placebo and raloxifene ) . Our findings suggest that in healthy postmenopausal women , raloxifene and estrogen monotherapy have similar beneficial effects on low density lipoprotein cholesterol and fibrinogen levels . These treatments differ , however , in their effects on high density lipoprotein cholesterol , triglycerides , and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 and possibly in their effects on prothrombin fragment F1 + 2 and C-reactive protein
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 .