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 .
Effects of conjugated equine estrogens on cognition and affect in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy.
CONTEXT Different menopausal hormone therapies may have varied effects on specific cognitive functions . We previously reported that conjugated equine estrogens ( CEE ) with medroxyprogesterone acetate had a negative impact on verbal memory but tended to impact figural memory positively over time in older postmenopausal women . OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to determine the effects of unopposed CEE on changes in domain-specific cognitive function and affect in older postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy . DESIGN This was a r and omized , double blind , placebo-controlled clinical trial . SETTING The study was conducted at 14 of 40 Women 's Health Initiative ( WHI ) clinical centers . PARTICIPANTS Participants were 886 postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy , aged 65 yr and older ( mean 74 yr ) , free of probable dementia , and enrolled in the WHI and WHI Memory Study ( WHIMS ) CEE-Alone trial for a mean of 3 yr and followed up for a mean of 2.70 yr . INTERVENTION Intervention was 0.625 mg of CEE daily or placebo . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Annual rates of change in specific cognitive functions and affect , adjusted for time since r and omization , were measured . RESULTS Compared with placebo , unopposed CEE was associated with lower spatial rotational ability ( P < 0.01 ) at initial assessment ( after 3 yr of treatment ) , a difference that diminished over 2.7 yr of continued treatment . CEE did not significantly influence change in other cognitive functions and affect . CONCLUSIONS CEE did not improve cognitive functioning in postmenopausal women with prior hysterectomy . CEE was associated with lower spatial rotational performance after an average of 3 yr of treatment . Overall , CEE does not appear to have enduring effects on rates of domain-specific cognitive change in older postmenopausal women
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 .