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 .
Effect of postmenopausal hormone therapy on coronary heart disease events after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
Despite several observational studies , 1–3 no clinical trial has evaluated the effect of hormone therapy on percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty ( PTCA ) outcomes in matched population s r and omized to hormones or placebo . We compared the incidence of  coronary heart disease ( CHD ) events after PTCA among women who previously had been r and omly assigned to hormone therapy and placebo in the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study ( HERS ) .  The design , methods , and primary results of HERS have been previously published . 4,5 Briefl y , HERS participants were postmenopausal women aged 80 years with established CHD who had not had a hysterectomy . Inclusion criteria were prior myocardial infa rct ion , coronary artery bypass graft surgery ( CABG ) , PTCA , or angiographic evidence of a 50 % diameter narrowing of 1 major coronary artery . Exclusion criteria were a recent CHD event , New York Heart Association class IV or severe class III congestive heart failure , serum triglyceride levels 300 mg/ dl , recent use of any hormone therapy , uncontrolled hypertension or diabetes , a disease ( other than CHD ) judged likely to be fatal within 4 years , or prior intolerance to hormone therapy . At the initiation of the HERS , participants were r and omly assigned to receive a single identical tablet containing either conjugated equine estrogen 0.625 mg and medroxyprogesterone acetate 2.5 mg or placebo . During the HERS , 357 patients underwent PCTA and constituted the study population . These patients were followed subsequently to ascertain their rate for subsequent CHD events . Demographic characteristics , health history , CHD risk factors , medication use , educational level , and quality of life were assessed at baseline . Baseline levels of fasting total cholesterol , low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol , triglycerides , and lipoprotein ( a ) were determined by the Lipoprotein Analytical Laboratory at Johns Hopkins Hospital ( Baltimore , Maryl and ) . Follow-up time for this analysis began at the time of the initial PTCA and concluded at the closeout of the HERS . All suspected outcome events were classifi ed independently by 2 physician review ers who were unaware of treatment assignment . Discordant classifi cations were resolved in discussion s between the review ers
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 .