Menopause
5.6. Table: Benefits and harms of hormone therapy
Impact of daily combined oestrogen-progesterone therapy on healthy womenThe estimation of risks of hormone therapy depends on the length of treatment. Women who want to use hormones to relieve menopausal symptoms can usually get by with short-term treatment. The following numbers come from the results of the Women's Health Initiative Study. The numbers are averages that aim to provide an idea of how often things might happen. A woman's actual risk depends on her individual situation, and it might be higher or lower than the figures in this table.
| Illness or event | Impact of combined oestrogen therapy within the first 12 months compared with women taking no HT | Impact of combined oestrogen therapy for up to five years compared with women taking no HT |
|---|---|---|
| Heart attack | Increased risk: an extra 2 heart attacks for every 1,000 women | Not clear |
| Thromboembolism (blood clot) | Increased risk: an extra 4 clots for every 1,000 women | Increased risk: an extra 11 clots for every 1,000 women |
| Stroke | No noticeable change | Increased risk: an extra 5 strokes for every 1,000 women |
| Breast cancer | No noticeable change | Increased risk: an extra 4 breast cancers for every 1,000 women |
| Gallbladder disease requiring operation | No noticeable change | Increased risk: an extra 11 operations for every 1,000 women |
| Bowel (colorectal) cancer | No noticeable change | Reduced risk: 3 fewer bowel cancers for every 1,000 women |
| Hip fracture | No noticeable change | Reduced risk: 3 fewer hip fractures for every 1,000 women |
The impact of daily oestrogen therapy on healthy women (without a uterus)
The estimation of risks of hormone therapy depends on the length of treatment. Women who want to use hormones to relieve menopausal symptoms can usually get by with short-term treatment. The following numbers come from the results of the Women's Health Initiative Study. The numbers are averages that aim to provide an idea of how often things might happen. A woman's actual risk depends on her individual situation, and it might be higher or lower than the figures in this table.
| Illness or condition | Impact of oestrogen-only therapy within the first 12 months compared with women taking no HT | Impact of oestrogen-only therapy for up to five years compared with women taking no HT |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke | No noticeable change | Increased risk: an extra 8 strokes for every 1,000 women |
| Gallbladder disease requiring an operation | No noticeable change | Increased risk: an extra 21 operations for every 1,000 women |
| Hip fracture | No noticeable change | Reduced risk: 4-5 fewer hip fractures for every 1,000 women |
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- Created (German version): February 14th 2006 10:00
- Last update: September 17th 2007 14:51
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