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 .
Results from the Estonian postmenopausal hormone therapy trial [ISRCTN35338757].
OBJECTIVES At present the Women 's Health Initiative trial is the only reported r and omised controlled trial study ing the effects of hormone therapy among healthy postmenopausal women . The Women 's Health Initiative reports have been criticized for lacking in generalisability , due to the characteristics of the trial population . We aim ed to compare the health effects of oral continuous combined hormone therapy with a placebo and non-treatment among healthy Estonian women . METHODS Eligible women were r and omised into a blind group of hormone therapy versus placebo and into a non-blind group of open label hormone therapy versus non-treatment .  One thous and seven hundred and seventy-eight postmenopausal women aged 50 - 64 at the time of sampling were recruited in 1999 - 2001 at three clinical centers in Estonia . Participants received conjugated equine oestrogens , 0.625 mg/d , plus medroxyprogesterone acetate , 2.5mg/d , or conjugated equine oestrogens , 0.625 mg/d , plus medroxyprogesterone acetate , 5mg/d , if less than 3 years had passed since menopause at recruitment , or matched placebo or non-treatment . Trial treatment was stopped gradually from 1 January 2004 to 31 May 2004 . RESULTS After a follow-up period from 2.0 to 5.0 years the combined hazard ratio , stratified by blinding and adjusted for age at recruitment and former oral contraceptive use was 1.12 ( 95 % confidence interval [ CI ] : 0.90 - 1.40 ) for coronary heart disease , 1.24 ( 95 % CI : 0.85 - 1.82 ) for cerebrovascular disease , 1.36 ( 95 % CI : 0.73 - 2.52 ) for total cancer , and 0.61 ( 95 % CI : 0.42 to 0.89 ) for bone fractures . CONCLUSIONS The results from the Estonian Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy r and omised trial are consistent with the Women 's Health Initiative findings
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 .