Hormone therapy does not increase heart disease risk in women

A new study indicates that modern hormone therapy for menopause, administered via pills, patches, or gels, does not increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, or death in middle-aged women.

Researchers tracked more than 52,000 women for an average of 12 years, with some for up to 23 years. The study found that approximately 4.4 percent of women receiving hormone therapy experienced heart-related medical emergencies, compared to 4.6 percent of those who did not. Mortality rates before age 80 were also similar between the two groups, at 1.3 percent for those on therapy and 1.2 percent for those who were not.

Lead researcher Ronan Arbel noted that concerns regarding heart health are a primary reason women avoid hormone therapy for menopause symptoms. The findings suggest that for women in their mid-forties to late fifties without a history of heart disease or blood clots, current hormone therapies do not appear to increase long-term risks. This aligns with previous actions by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which removed black box warnings from hormone products after finding no link to increased risks of heart disease, breast cancer, or dementia.