Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke

“Some studies suggest that HT might be good for your heart if you start before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause. However, if you start HT further from menopause…”.1

Umbrella
What may the Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Coronary Heart Disease
  • Heart Disease
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Ischemic Heart Disease
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  • Stroke

Cardiovascular Diseases

What are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)?

DotS the definition of CVDs may vary. The World Health Organization’s definition is:

“CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age”.2

TypeHormone Therapy, Heart Disease and StrokeHormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke

What can it be important to be clear about with hormone therapy (HT), heart disease and stroke information?

It can be important to be clear about the type of HT – Estrogen Plus Progestogen HT or Estrogen Therapy.

Younger Than Age 60 or Not

What can it also be important to be clear about with HT, heart disease and stroke information?

It can also be important to be clear about whether HT, heart disease and stroke information is about women “younger than age 60 years or within 10 years of menopause”.

Younger Than Age 60

For women younger than age 60 or within 10 years of menopause, what is the association between HT and heart disease and stroke?

On page one in Deciding About Hormone Therapy: Potential Risks, published July 2022, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) explain:

“As with all medications, HT is associated with some potential risks. For healthy women with bothersome hot flashes aged younger than 60 years or within 10 years of menopause, the benefits of HT generally outweigh the risks. Hormone therapy might slightly increase your risk of stroke or blood clots in the legs or lungs (especially if taken in pill form)”.3

After Age 60

For women after age 60 or further than 10 years from menopause, what is the association between HT, heart disease and stroke?

On page one in Deciding About Hormone Therapy: Potential Risks, the NAMS also note:

“Some studies suggest that HT might be good for your heart if you start before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause. However, if you start HT further from menopause or after age 60, HT might slightly increase your risk of heart disease. Although there are risks associated with taking HT, they are not common, and most go away after you stop treatment”.4

U.S. Preventative Services Task Force

In 2022, what did the (United States) U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) note in their final recommendations about the use of HT for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons?

In Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions, published 01 November 2022, the USPSTF’s recommendations include:


Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke“Postmenopausal persons
The USPSTF recommends against the use of combined estrogen and progestin for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons”.5

In Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions, published 01 November 2022, the USPSTF’s recommendations also include:

“Postmenopausal persons who have had a hysterectomy
The USPSTF recommends against the use of estrogen alone for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons who have had a hysterectomy”.6

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use HT and would like to lower my risk of heart disease and/or stroke?

If you would like to choose to use HT and lower your risk of heart disease and/or stroke, it may be in your best interest to also choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

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New or Updated

  1. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  2. BMS TV: Bioidentical Hormones
  3. BMS TV: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
  4. BMS TV: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  5. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  6. Cardiovascular Diseases
  7. DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
  8. Deciding About Hormone Therapy
  9. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  10. Family History
  11. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  12. Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  13. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  14. Goredforwomen.org [Go Red for Women]
  15. Guidance on Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  16. HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
  17. HRT: Benefits and Risks
  18. Hormone Replacement Therapy
  19. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  20. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Alternatives To Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  21. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  22. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Types of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  23. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions
  24. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  25. Hot Flashes
  26. Hot Flashes
  27. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  28. Hot Flushes, Night Sweats, Brain Fog? Here’s What We Know About Phytoestrogens for Menopausal Symptoms
  29. How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
  30. I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – E9: The Menopause. Can Every Woman That Wants It Have HRT?
  31. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  32. Know Your Numbers
  33. Know Your Numbers: What Is Your Heart Rate?
  34. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Postmenopause Health – The Menopause: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) [+ Video: Is HRT Bad for You?]
  35. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Postmenopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Myths]
  36. Life’s Essential 8
  37. Looking After Yourself
  38. Lots of Women Try Herbs Like Black Cohosh for Menopausal Symptoms Like Hot Flushes – But Does It Work?
  39. Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video]
  40. Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
  41. Mayo Clinic Minute: Signs of Coronary Artery Disease, How To Reduce Your Risk [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  42. Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  43. Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Venous Thromboembolism
  44. Menopausal Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke
  45. Menopause
  46. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Stages of Menopause: Postmenopause
  47. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 3. The Risks & Benefits of HRT
  48. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 4. The Different Types of HRT
  49. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 5. Lifestyle Advice In Menopause & Perimenopause
  50. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated With Menopause and Midlife
  51. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Lifestyle Tips for Menopause
  52. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Treating Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause
  53. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
  54. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  55. Menopause Treatment
  56. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  57. Menopause and Cardiovascular Risk
  58. Menopause and Heart Disease
  59. Menopause and Heart Disease: Does Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Affect Your Risk of Heart and Circulatory Disease?
  60. Menopause and Your Health
  61. Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Therapy and Other Treatments With Madelyn Butler, MD [Podcast]
  62. Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
  63. Menopause: Ensuring A Tranquil Transition
  64. Menopause: Things You Can Do
  65. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  66. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  67. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Cardiovascular Disease
  68. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Chelation for Coronary Heart Disease: What You Need To Know
  69. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Herbs At A Glance
  70. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  71. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  72. Non-Estrogen Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
  73. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  74. Postmenopause
  75. Q&A: Health Changes During Menopause Associated With Increased Cardiovascular Risk
  76. Read My Lips
  77. Risks and Benefits of MHT
  78. The Benefits and Risks of Menopause Hormone Therapy for the Cardiovascular System In Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  79. The Heart Truth
  80. The Truth About Menopause Supplements | Dr Sarah Berry
  81. Therapy for the Effects of Menopause
  82. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  83. Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
  84. Video Series-2023: Menopause and Heart Disease
  85. Video Series-2023: NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
  86. Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
  87. Video Series-2023: Premature and Early Menopause
  88. Video Series-2024: Preparing for Your Menopause Health Care Visit
  89. Video: Leslie Cho, MD, Discusses CV Risks, Benefits of Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  90. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Cardiovascular Disease In Women
  91. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Heart Disease, Risk Factors of Developing Heart Disease, and Can I Take Hormones?
  92. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Prevention of Chronic Diseases In Women: Where Does MHT Fit In?
  93. Webinars: Previous – Cardiovascular Disease
  94. Webinars: Previous – Hormones and Stroke: An Update on Treatment and Risk
  95. Webinars: Previous – Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease With MHT – Where Are We Now?
  96. ‘What’s Normal Has Changed’: Navigating Menopausal Hormone Therapy As CVD Risk Grows
  97. Why Didn’t Anyone Tell Me This? Episode 3: Dr Annice Mukherjee: Your Essential Menopause Toolkit
  98. Women & CVD
  99. World Menopause Day
  100. World Menopause Day: Patient Information Leaflet – Cardiovascular Disease: What Women Need To Know [Multiply Languages]
    Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 22 February 2024
  2. Cardiovascular Diseases. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1 Accessed: 22 February 2024
  3. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 22 February 2024
  4. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 22 February 2024
  5. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions. 01 November 2022. U.S. Preventative Services Task Force https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/menopausal-hormone-therapy-preventive-medication Accessed: 22 February 2024
  6. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions. 01 November 2022. U.S. Preventative Services Task Force https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/menopausal-hormone-therapy-preventive-medication Accessed: 22 February 2024
Topic Last Updated: 22 February 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 22 February 2024

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