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 .
Long-term Effects on Cognitive Trajectories of Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy in Two Age Groups
Background Postmenopausal hormone therapy may have long-term effects on cognitive function depending on women 's age . Methods Postintervention follow-up was conducted with annual cognitive assessment s of two r and omized controlled clinical trial cohorts , beginning an average of 6 - 7 years after study medications were terminated : 1,376 women who had enrolled in the Women 's Health Initiative when aged 50 - 54 years and 2,880 who had enrolled when aged 65 - 79 years . Women had been r and omly assigned to 0.625mg/d conjugated equine estrogens ( CEE ) for those with prior hysterectomy ( mean 7.1 years ) , CEE with 2.5mg/d medroxyprogesterone acetate for those without prior hysterectomy ( mean 5.4 years ) , or matching placebos . Results Hormone therapy , when prescribed to women aged 50 - 54 years , had no significant long-term posttreatment effects on cognitive function and on changes in cognitive function . When prescribed to older women , it was associated with long-term mean ( SE ) relative decrements ( st and ard deviation units ) in global cognitive function of 0.081 ( 0.029 ) , working memory of 0.070 ( 0.025 ) , and executive function of 0.054 ( 0.023 ) , all p < .05 . These decrements were relatively stable over time . Findings did not vary depending on the hormone therapy regimen , prior use , or years from last menstrual period . Mean intervention effects were small ; however , the largest were comparable in magnitude to those seen during the trial 's active intervention phase . Conclusions CEE-based hormone therapy delivered near the time of menopause provides neither cognitive benefit nor detriment . If administered in older women , it results in small decrements in several cognitive domains that remain for many years
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 .