Update in hormone therapy use in menopause

J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Feb;96(2):255-64. doi: 10.1210/jc.2010-0536.

Abstract

The original report from the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) changed our understanding of the benefits and risks of hormone therapy. Since that time, reanalysis of the WHI and additional data from other studies have further refined these concepts. Here we provide an update on recent advances in the field. Menopausal hormone therapy continues to have a clinical role in the management of vasomotor symptoms. However, our understanding of the role of hormones in cardiovascular disease and breast cancer continues to evolve. Further analyses of the effect of age and proximity to menopause at the time of initiation of therapy, duration of treatment, dose, route of administration, and the persistence of risks and benefits after stopping hormone therapy are described. In addition, recent data have emerged suggesting that there may be a link between hormone therapy and cancers of the lung and ovary. Finally, we discuss new advances in hormone therapy that will likely lead to a more favorable benefit-to-risk ratio, enabling safer effective menopausal symptom relief.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Breast Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Cognition / drug effects
  • Colonic Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Colonic Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Coronary Disease / prevention & control
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Endometrial Neoplasms / prevention & control
  • Estrogen Replacement Therapy / adverse effects
  • Estrogen Replacement Therapy / trends*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Lung Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Menopause / drug effects
  • Menopause / physiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / chemically induced
  • Ovarian Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Stroke / chemically induced
  • Stroke / epidemiology
  • Thromboembolism / chemically induced
  • Thromboembolism / epidemiology
  • Women's Health