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 .
Raloxifene reduces impedance to flow within the uterine artery in early postmenopausal women: a 2-year randomized, placebo-controlled, comparative study.
OBJECTIVE We sought to investigate the long-term effect of raloxifene and continuous combined hormone replacement therapy ( ccHRT ) on impedance to flow within the uterine artery in postmenopausal women . STUDY DESIGN A prospect i ve , r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled 2-year study was performed in 95 postmenopausal women . They received either 60 mg of raloxifene daily ( raloxifene 60 group ) , 150 mg of raloxifene daily ( raloxifene 150 group ) , ccHRT , or placebo . At baseline and thereafter every 6 months , color Doppler ultrasonography was used to measure the pulsatility index ( PI ) of the uterine artery . RESULTS After 24 months of treatment , compared with placebo , significant decreases were found in the PI in the raloxifene 150 group ( P = .021 ) and in the ccHRT group ( P = .007 ) . In the raloxifene 150 group compared with the placebo group , after 6 and 24 months , decreases were observed in median PI of -5 % and -15 % , respectively , and in the ccHRT group decreases of -2 % and -19 % , respectively , were found . CONCLUSION Long-term use of 150 mg of raloxifene daily or ccHRT reduces impedance to flow within the uterine artery . This indicates that high-dose raloxifene may exert cardiovascular protection
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 .