We found high quality evidence that hormone therapy in both primary and secondary prevention conferred no protective effects for all-cause mortality , cardiovascular death , non-fatal myocardial infa rct ion , angina , or revascularisation .
There was no strong evidence of effect on risk of stroke in this group .
Our review findings provide strong evidence that treatment with hormone therapy in post-menopausal women overall , for either primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease events has little if any benefit and causes an increase in the risk of stroke and venous thromboembolic events
BACKGROUND Evidence from systematic review s of observational studies suggests that hormone therapy may have beneficial effects in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease events in post-menopausal women , however the results of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) have had mixed results .
This is an up date d version of a Cochrane review published in 2013 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of hormone therapy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women , and whether there are differential effects between use in primary or secondary prevention .
Secondary aims were to undertake exploratory analyses to ( i ) assess the impact of time since menopause that treatment was commenced ( ≥ 10 years versus < 10 years ) , and where these data were not available , use age of trial participants at baseline as a proxy ( ≥ 60 years of age versus < 60 years of age ) ; and ( ii ) assess the effects of length of time on treatment .
Long-term and withdrawal effects of two different oestrogen-progestogen combinations on lipid and lipoprotein profiles in post-menopausal women.
Serum lipids and lipoproteins were studied in 86 healthy post-menopausal women at 3-monthly intervals throughout 2 yr of treatment with cyclic oestradiol valerate plus cyproterone acetate ( E2V + CPA ) , continuous 17 beta-oestradiol plus norethisterone acetate ( E2 + NETA ) , or placebo .  Withdrawal effects were also investigated . Serum oestrogen levels were similar following the 2 hormone regimens . Serum total and low-density-lipoprotein ( LDL ) cholesterol were significantly reduced by 5 - 8 % during cyclic E2V + CPA therapy and by 15 - 20 % during continuous E2 + NETA treatment . The concentrations remained significantly reduced throughout the 2 yr of treatment . Virtually no changes were observed in the placebo group . High-density-lipoprotein ( HDL ) cholesterol concentrations were significantly reduced in relation to pretreatment values during the first year of continuous E2 + NETA therapy , but were not significantly different from the levels in the cyclic E2V + CPA or the placebo groups . Serum triglyceride levels remained almost constant in all the groups . Withdrawal of hormone therapy result ed in steep increases in total and LDL-cholesterol , the levels returning to pretreatment values . A similar increase in HDL-cholesterol was observed in the E2 + NETA group , following withdrawal . Vaginal bleeding episodes were experienced by all the women receiving the E2V + CPA regimen and they occurred regularly in 63 % of the women . Fifty-two ( 52 ) percent of the women receiving E2 + NETA did not bleed at all . The results of the present study suggest that the continuous addition of NETA may enhance the oestrogen-induced changes in total and LDL-cholesterol , whereas only minor changes in the oestrogen-induced effects on these variables are produced by the cyclic addition of CPA . However , in the case of HDL-cholesterol , the antagonistic effect of CPA seems to be moderate in comparison with that of NETA
We found high quality evidence that hormone therapy in both primary and secondary prevention conferred no protective effects for all-cause mortality , cardiovascular death , non-fatal myocardial infa rct ion , angina , or revascularisation .
There was no strong evidence of effect on risk of stroke in this group .
Our review findings provide strong evidence that treatment with hormone therapy in post-menopausal women overall , for either primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease events has little if any benefit and causes an increase in the risk of stroke and venous thromboembolic events
BACKGROUND Evidence from systematic review s of observational studies suggests that hormone therapy may have beneficial effects in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease events in post-menopausal women , however the results of r and omised controlled trials ( RCTs ) have had mixed results .
This is an up date d version of a Cochrane review published in 2013 .
OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of hormone therapy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women , and whether there are differential effects between use in primary or secondary prevention .
Secondary aims were to undertake exploratory analyses to ( i ) assess the impact of time since menopause that treatment was commenced ( ≥ 10 years versus < 10 years ) , and where these data were not available , use age of trial participants at baseline as a proxy ( ≥ 60 years of age versus < 60 years of age ) ; and ( ii ) assess the effects of length of time on treatment .