In relatively healthy women , combined continuous HT significantly increased the risk of venous thrombo-embolism or coronary event ( after one year 's use ) , stroke ( after three years ) , breast cancer and gallbladder disease .
Long-term oestrogen-only HT significantly increased the risk of venous thrombo-embolism , stroke and gallbladder disease ( after one to two years , three years and seven years ' use respectively ) , but did not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer .
The only statistically significant benefits of HT were a decreased incidence of fractures and ( for combined HT ) colon cancer , with long-term use .
Among women aged over 65 who were relatively healthy ( i.e. generally fit , without overt disease ) and taking continuous combined HT , there was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of dementia .
Among women with cardiovascular disease , long-term use of combined continuous HT significantly increased the risk of venous thrombo-embolism .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS HT is not indicated for the routine management of chronic disease .
We need more evidence on the safety of HT for menopausal symptom control , though short-term use appears to be relatively safe for healthy younger women
BACKGROUND Hormone therapy ( HT ) is widely used for controlling menopausal symptoms and has also been used for the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease , osteoporosis and dementia in older women .
This is an up date d version of the original Cochrane review first published in 2005 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of long-term HT on mortality , cardiovascular outcomes , cancer , gallbladder disease , cognition , fractures and quality of life .
Remnant-like lipoproteins, hormone therapy, and angiographic and clinical outcomes: the Women's Angiographic Vitamin & Estrogen Trial.
BACKGROUND Little is known about the impact of post-menopausal hormone therapy on remnant-like particle ( RLP ) concentrations and about the relationship between RLP concentration and angiographic progression of coronary artery disease and clinical events in women . METHODS RLP cholesterol and triglyceride levels were measured at baseline and 3 months after r and omization in 397 post-menopausal women enrolled in The Women 's Angiographic Vitamin & Estrogen ( WAVE ) trial . Correlates of baseline RLP levels and changes in levels with post-menopausal hormone therapy were determined with multiple linear regression . Coronary angiography was performed at baseline and after a mean of 2.9 years . Changes in minimal and average luminal diameter were modeled with multivariate linear regression , clinical outcomes ( non-fatal myocardial infa rct ion , stroke , or cardiovascular death ) with multiple logistic regression . RESULTS The mean subject age was 65 years , 66 % of subjects were white , 18 % of subjects smoked , most subjects were overweight or obese , and 35 % of subjects had diabetes mellitus .  RLP cholesterol ( 0.277 + /- 0.254 mmol/L ) and triglyceride ( 0.386 + /- 0.552 mmol/L ) levels corresponded approximately to the 90th percentile in women in the Framingham study . RLP levels did not change significantly with hormone therapy . RLP levels at baseline , changes in RLP levels , and on treatment RLP levels did not relate to angiographic changes or clinical outcomes ( non-fatal myocardial infa rct ion , stroke , or cardiovascular death ) . CONCLUSIONS RLP levels were high among post-menopausal women enrolled in the WAVE study , were not affected by hormone therapy , and did not relate to angiographic progression of coronary artery disease or clinical outcomes
In relatively healthy women , combined continuous HT significantly increased the risk of venous thrombo-embolism or coronary event ( after one year 's use ) , stroke ( after three years ) , breast cancer and gallbladder disease .
Long-term oestrogen-only HT significantly increased the risk of venous thrombo-embolism , stroke and gallbladder disease ( after one to two years , three years and seven years ' use respectively ) , but did not significantly increase the risk of breast cancer .
The only statistically significant benefits of HT were a decreased incidence of fractures and ( for combined HT ) colon cancer , with long-term use .
Among women aged over 65 who were relatively healthy ( i.e. generally fit , without overt disease ) and taking continuous combined HT , there was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of dementia .
Among women with cardiovascular disease , long-term use of combined continuous HT significantly increased the risk of venous thrombo-embolism .
AUTHORS ' CONCLUSIONS HT is not indicated for the routine management of chronic disease .
We need more evidence on the safety of HT for menopausal symptom control , though short-term use appears to be relatively safe for healthy younger women
BACKGROUND Hormone therapy ( HT ) is widely used for controlling menopausal symptoms and has also been used for the management and prevention of cardiovascular disease , osteoporosis and dementia in older women .
This is an up date d version of the original Cochrane review first published in 2005 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effect of long-term HT on mortality , cardiovascular outcomes , cancer , gallbladder disease , cognition , fractures and quality of life .