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 .
Estrogen after ischemic stroke: clinical basis and design of the Women's Estrogen for Stroke Trial.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Observational studies have found that women who take estrogen after menopause are less likely to have a stroke than women who do not take estrogen .  Although these findings indicate that estrogen may prevent stroke , an alternative explanation for the improved outcome of  estrogen users is that they are healthier before starting therapy than nonusers . To test the therapeutic effect of estrogen with research methods that avoid this selection bias , we design ed a r and omized controlled trial . TRIAL DESIGN The  Women 's Estrogen For Stroke  Trial ( WEST ) is a double-blind , r and omized trial with a primary goal of determining whether 1 mg 17beta-estradiol daily , when compared with placebo , reduces the risk of recurrent stroke or death among postmenopausal women who have experienced a transient ischemic attack or nondisabling ischemic stroke . Exclusion criteria include use of estrogen at the time of stroke , breast or uterine cancer , inability to speak English , and estimated survival less than 5 years . Once r and omized , women remain under the care of their personal physicians for management of stroke risk factors . For early detection of endometrial hyperplasia and cancer , asymptomatic women receive medroxyprogesterone yearly ( 5 mg for 12 days ) and vaginal ultrasonography or biopsy at the end of the trial . Unscheduled uterine bleeding is evaluated with biopsy . A total of 652 women are sought at 20 hospitals in Connecticut and one in Massachusetts . CONCLUSIONS The WEST promises to provide critical guidance to women and their physicians regarding the effectiveness of estrogen in secondary stroke prevention
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 .