Menopause news

HRT benefits the heart

22 June 2007

Yet another report from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trial has been published and provides further reassuring evidence on the beneficial effects of HRT. Following cessation of the trial, 1064 women aged between 50 and 59 years who had had a hysterectomy and had been randomised to receiving estrogen or placebo (inactive tablet) had computed tomography of the heart and coronary artery. The finding of calcified plaque in the coronary artery is predictive of future risk of cardiovascular disease. The study showed that overall, the women who had taken estrogen were 30 - 40% less likely to have coronary artery calcium, with a 20 - 30% reduction in likelihood of having mild to moderate increase in calcification score, and more than a 50% reduction in likelihood of having advanced calcification score.

Recently, analysis of the women in the WHI trial aged 50 - 59 years had shown a decrease in heart attacks and all cause mortality in women taking HRT. At this stage it is not advised to take HRT purely for cardiovascular benefit, but women taking HRT for control of menopausal symptoms in the first 10 years or so of the menopause can be reassured that HRT is extremely unlikely to be harmful for the heart and is more likely to be beneficial.

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