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 Effect of Ultralow-Dose Transdermal Estradiol on Urinary Incontinence in Postmenopausal Women
OBJECTIVE : To estimate the effect of 2 years of treatment with ultralow-dose transdermal estradiol ( E2 ) on  incontinence in postmenopausal women . METHODS : Ultra Low Dose Transdermal estRogen Assessment ( ULTRA ) was a multicenter , r and omized , double-blinded , placebo-controlled trial of unopposed ultralow-dose ( 0.014 mg/d ) transdermal E2 for prevention of osteoporosis in 417 postmenopausal women aged 60 to 80 years .  Frequency of incontinence episodes was assessed at baseline and after 4 months and 2 years of treatment using a self-reported question naire . We used an intention-to-treat analysis to compare change in incontinence frequency , improved ( decreased 2 or more episodes per week ) , unchanged ( increased or decreased no more than 1 episode per week ) , or worsened ( increased 2 or more episodes per week ) between the E2 and placebo groups among women with and without at least weekly incontinence at baseline . RESULTS : At baseline , the prevalence of at least weekly incontinence was similar between E2 and placebo groups ( 43 % ) . After 2 years , there was no difference between groups in the proportions of women with incontinence at baseline whose incontinence improved , worsened , or was unchanged . The odds ratio for worsening incontinence in the E2 compared with placebo group was 1.35 ( 95 % confidence interval 0.75–2.42 . In women without incontinence at baseline , the odds of developing at least weekly incontinence after 2 years in the E2 compared with placebo group was not significant ( odds ratio 1.2 , 95 % confidence interval 0.7–2.2 ) . CONCLUSION : Two years of treatment with unopposed ultralow-dose transdermal E2 did not substantially change the frequency of incontinence symptoms or alter the risk of developing at least weekly incontinence . LEVEL OF EVIDENCE :
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 .