and the use of estrogen alone for the prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal women who have had a hysterectomy. Following a review of 51 articles published since 2002, the Task Force concluded that risks associated with these hormone replacement therapies (HRT) outweigh the chronic disease prevention benefits. The Task Force found that both estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin reduce the risk for fractures, but increase risk for stroke, thromboembolic events, gallbladder disease, and urinary incontinence. Estrogen alone decreased risk for breast cancer. Estrogen plus progestin increased risk for probable dementia and breast cancer. The risk for breast cancer increased for women with prior oral contraceptive use, prior menopausal estrogen plus progestin therapy, or current smoking. The recommendations apply to average-risk women who have undergone menopause, and are not about the use of hormone therapy to treat symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes or vaginal atrophy. These recommendations match the Task Force's 2005 recommendations on HRT.
Source:
medicalnewstoday.com
