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 .
Endothelial function in women of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study
Abstract Objective Endothelial dysfunction occurs early in the atherosclerotic disease process , often preceding clinical symptoms . Use of menopausal hormone treatment ( MHT ) to reduce cardiovascular risk is controversial . This study evaluated effects of 4 years of MHT on endothelial function in healthy , recently menopausal women .  Methods Endothelial function was determined by pulse volume digital tonometry providing a reactive hyperemia index ( RHI ) in a subset of women enrolled in the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study .  RHI was measured before and annually after r and omization to daily oral conjugated equine estrogen ( oCEE , 0.45 mg ) , weekly transdermal 17β-estradiol ( tE2 , 50 μg ) each with intermittent progesterone ( 200 mg daily 12 days of the month ) or placebo pills and patch . Results At baseline , RHI averaged 2.39 ± 0.69 ( mean ± st and ard deviation ; n = 83 ) , and over follow-up did not differ significantly among groups : oCEE , 2.26 ± 0.48 ( n = 26 ) ; tE2 , 2.26 ± 0.45 ( n = 24 ) ; and placebo , 2.37 ± 0.37 ( n = 33 ) . Changes in RHI did not correlate with changes in traditional cardiovascular risk factors , but may inversely correlate with carotid intima medial thickness ( Spearman correlation coefficient ρ = −0.268 , p = 0.012 ) . Conclusion In this 4-year prospect i ve assessment of recently menopausal women  , MHT did not significantly alter RHI when compared to placebo
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 .