By Julie Ouellet Many family physicians suggest that women approaching menopause take estrogen to prevent heart disease. By extension, estrogen is supposed to fight heart disease. Women are constantly being told by doctors and drug companies that all their physical and psychological problems are due to estrogen deficiency. Yet estrogen is what is most commonly prescribed to North American women going through menopause.
Heart disease is heart disease.
Although it is true that menopause is associated with a drop in estrogen, it is less certain that the drop is responsible for the greater risk of heart disease. We would like to think that reliable studies have indeed shown that estrogen is effective in reducing the risk of heart disease. The participants answered health questionnaires every two years for ten years. One question asked whether the respondent was taking estrogen. The findings indicated that women taking estrogen suffered half as many heart attacks as the others.