|
Postmenopausal women should not use hormone therapy
to prevent chronic medical conditions, such as
coronary heart disease, dementia, stroke, fractures,
and breast cancer, because the risk of significant
side effects outweighs the unclear evidence of a
benefit, according to a U.S. government-backed panel
of experts.
Still, hormone therapy was once commonly prescribed
to prevent these conditions, until results from the
large Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study revealed
serious adverse health effects in postmenopausal
women who received menopausal hormone therapy.
To update the 2012 US Preventive Services Task Force
(USPSTF) recommendation on the use of menopausal
hormone therapy for the primary prevention of
chronic conditions the USPSTF reviewed the evidence
on the benefits and harms of systemic (ie, oral or
transdermal) hormone therapy for the prevention of
chronic conditions in postmenopausal women and
whether outcomes vary among women in different
subgroups or by timing of intervention after
menopause.
The review did not address hormone therapy for
preventing or treating menopausal symptoms.
The USPSTF determined that the magnitude of both the
benefits and the harms of hormone therapy in
postmenopausal women is small to moderate.
Therefore, the USPSTF concluded with moderate
certainty that combined estrogen and progestin has
no net benefit for the primary prevention of chronic
conditions for most postmenopausal women with an
intact uterus and that estrogen alone has no net
benefit for the primary prevention of chronic
conditions for most postmenopausal women who have
had a hysterectomy.
The USPSTF recommends against the use of combined
estrogen and progestin for the primary prevention of
chronic conditions in postmenopausal women.
The USPSTF recommends against the use of estrogen
alone for the primary prevention of chronic
conditions in postmenopausal women who have had a
hysterectomy.
For more information
US Preventive Services Task Force
Recommendation Statement
Hormone Therapy for the Primary Prevention of
Chronic Conditions in Postmenopausal Women
Link...
MDN |