Menopause hormone therapy may protect heart health

A new U.S. study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that menopause hormone therapy may offer cardiovascular protection for certain women. Researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Pittsburgh analyzed long-term data from over 2,700 participants in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN).

The study focused on women experiencing vasomotor symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats, who began hormone therapy around the menopause transition. These participants experienced fewer cardiovascular events over the following years compared to those who did not start the treatment. This finding provides a more nuanced perspective on hormone therapy, which has faced scrutiny since the early 2000s due to concerns regarding heart disease and stroke.

Physiologically, menopausal symptoms like hot flashes involve cutaneous vasodilatation and sweating, often linked to altered hypothalamic thermoregulation following the loss of ovarian estrogen signaling. Research indicates that symptomatic women may have a reduced thermoregulatory null zone, affecting how the body manages heat loss and conservation.