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 .
Low-risk lipoprotein pattern in post-menopausal women on sequential oestrogen/progestogen treatment.
Female hormones are known in influence serum lipoproteins . In post-menopausal women oestrogens decrease the concentration of low-density lipoprotein ( LDL ) and increase that of high-density lipoprotein ( HDL ) , while progestogens may have the opposite effect . The risk of coronary heart disease ( CHD ) should consequently be decreased by oestrogens and increased by progestogens . We report here the changes observed in serum total cholesterol , triglycerides , and lipoproteins in post-menopausal women during sequential oestrogen/progestogen treatment . Oestriol and 17 beta-oestradiol were given alone for the first 12 days , in combination with norethisterone acetate ( 1 mg/day ) for the next 10 days , and then in reduced amounts for the last 6 days of the 28-day cycle . Three different doses of the oestrogens were investigated ( high , medium and low ) . A total of 177 normal post-menopausal women volunteered for r and om allocation to treatment or placebo groups .  Blood sample s were taken every 3 mth during the progestogen phase of the cycle . Serum total cholesterol was found to be 10 - 13 % lower over a 3-yr period on the high oestrogen dose and 5 and 3 % lower on the medium and low doses , respectively . No significant changes were seen in serum triglycerides . Determination of lipoprotein fractions showed that the reduction in total cholesterol was due to reduced LDL-cholesterol , the HDL-cholesterol levels remaining virtually unchanged
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 .