Is There a Role for Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Select Postmenopausal Women?

Alexis Cutchins; Nanette K Wenger

doi:10.1007/s11936-013-0256-3

Is There a Role for Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention in Select Postmenopausal Women?

Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2013 Dec;15(6):722-34. doi: 10.1007/s11936-013-0256-3.

Authors

Alexis Cutchins¹, Nanette K Wenger

Affiliation

¹ Cardiology, Emory University School of Medicine, 550 Peachtree St, 6th floor Medical Office Tower, Atlanta, GA, 30308, USA, acutchi@emory.edu.

PMID: 23861019
DOI: 10.1007/s11936-013-0256-3

Abstract

Although the US Preventive Services Task Force and other contemporary guidelines recommend that Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) not be used for prevention of chronic conditions, its use for prevention of cardiovascular disease remains controversial. The Women's Health Initiative and the Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement Study explored the benefits and risks of MHT for cardiovascular disease, primary and secondary prevention respectively, but challenges to these data include suboptimal hormone therapy adherence and the advanced age of the women at initiation of MHT. Here we discuss the recent literature impacting MHT management of the peri- and post-menopausal women who are concerned about cardiovascular disease risk.