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 EWA (estrogen in women with atherosclerosis) study: a randomized study of the use of hormone replacement therapy in women with angiographically verified coronary artery disease. Characteristics of the study population. Effects on lipids and lipoproteins.
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of hormone replacement therapy ( HRT ) on lipids and lipoproteins in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease . SETTING In this single-centre , controlled and r and omized study taking place in a tertiary referral clinic , patients were examined at baseline , and after 3 and 12 months . All analyses were performed examiner-blind . SUBJECTS Postmenopausal women ( n = 118 ) with angiographically verified coronary artery disease were recruited consecutively from patients referred for investigational procedures due to coronary artery disease . INTERVENTIONS The women were r and omized to HRT , i.e. transdermal application of continuous 17-beta oestradiol with cyclic medroxyprogesterone actetate tablets every 3rd month for 14 days , or to a control group . MAIN OUTCOMES Effects on lipids and lipoproteins . RESULTS After 3 months of unopposed oestradiol , triglycerides decreased significantly compared to the control group ( P = 0.006 ) . Sequential administration of medroxyprogesterone caused a decrease in HDL cholesterol ( P = 0.01 ) , concomitantly with a decrease in ApoA1 lipoproteins ( P = 0.007 ) . No other changes in lipids or lipoproteins were observed . After 12 months of therapy , no significant differences were observed between the two groups in lipid or lipoprotein levels . Concomitant statin treatment did not alter the main findings . CONCLUSIONS In postmenopausal women with established coronary artery disease in whom the majority is treated with statins , no additional effect of HRT on lipids or lipoproteins could be observed except for a transient decrease in triglycerides in the initial unopposed oestradiol phase . No deleterious effect could be observed during medroxyprogesterone administration except for a small transient decrease in HDL cholesterol and ApoA1 lipoproteins
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 .