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 .
Colorectal Cancer in Relation to Postmenopausal Estrogen and Estrogen Plus Progestin in the Women's Health Initiative Clinical Trial and Observational Study
Background : Colorectal cancer incidence was reduced among women assigned to active treatment in the Women 's Health Initiative ( WHI ) estrogen plus progestin-r and omized trial , but the interpretation was obscured by an associated later stage of diagnosis . In contrast , the estrogen-alone trial showed no incidence reduction or differential stage at diagnosis . Here , data from the WHI observational study are considered , in conjunction with colorectal cancer mortality data from the hormone therapy trials , in an attempt to clarify postmenopausal hormone therapy effects . Participants and Methods : Postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 years at WHI enrollment .  Estrogen-alone  analyses include 21,552 and 10,739 women who were posthysterectomy from the observational study and clinical trial , respectively .  Estrogen plus progestin analyses include 32,084 and 16,608 observational study and clinical trial women with uterus . Colorectal cancers were verified by central medical and pathology report review . Results : Hazard ratios ( 95 % confidence intervals ) from the WHI observational study were 0.80 ( 0.53 - 1.20 ) for estrogen and 1.15 ( 0.74 - 1.79 ) for estrogen plus progestin , with , respectively , 168 and 175 women diagnosed with colorectal cancer . Delayed diagnosis with estrogen plus progestin is not evident in the observational study . No protective effect on colorectal cancer mortality in the estrogen plus progestin trial is seen over an 8-year intervention and follow-up period . Conclusion : Hazard ratio patterns in the WHI clinical trial and observational study do not provide strong evidence of a clinical ly important colorectal cancer benefit with either estrogen-alone or estrogen plus progestin over 7 to 8 years of treatment and follow-up . ( Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2009;18(5):1531–7
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 .