Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease

Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease

“Women who initiate hormone therapy aged older than
60 years or more than 10 or 20 years from menopause
onset are at higher absolute risks of CHD, VTE, and…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Cardiovascular Disease
  • Coronary Heart Disease
  • Heart Disease
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Ischemic Heart Disease
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)

Cardiovascular Diseases

What are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)?

DotS the definition of CVDs may vary. The World Health Organization’s definition is:

“Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, taking an estimated 17.9 million lives each year. CVDs are a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease and other conditions. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes, and one third of these deaths occur prematurely in people under 70 years of age”.2

Type

Hormone Therapy and Heart DiseaseHormone Therapy and heart Disease What can it be important to be clear about with hormone therapy (HT) and heart disease risk information?

It can be important to be clear about the type of HT and whether heart disease risk information is about – Estrogen Plus Progestogen HT or Estrogen-Alone HT.

Younger Than Age 60 or Not

What can it also be important to be clear about with HT and heart disease risk information?

It can also be important to be clear about whether HT and heart disease risk information is about women “younger than age 60 years or within 10 years of menopause” or not.

Younger Than Age 60

For women younger than age 60 or within 10 years of menopause, what is the association between HT and heart disease risk?

On page one in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks, published February 2025, the Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) explain:

“Some studies suggest that HT might be good for your heart if you start before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause”.3

On page two in the Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published online 10 June 2022, one of the recommendations is:

  • “Evidence from Cochrane database analysis suggests that HRT started before the age of 60 or within 10 years of the menopause may result in reduction in atherosclerosis progression, coronary heart disease and may lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality”.4

After Age 60

For women after age 60 or further than 10 years from menopause, what is the association between HT and heart disease risk?

On page one in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks the Menopause Society also note:

“However, if you start HT further from menopause or after age 60, HT might slightly increase your risk of heart disease. Although there are risks associated with taking HT, they are not common, and most go away after you stop treatment”.5

On page 780 in The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society: Cardiovascular Disease and All-Cause Mortality – Key Points published July 2022 and “endorsed by more than 20 well-respected international organizations”, one of the key points is:

“Women who initiate hormone therapy aged older than 60 years or more than 10 or 20 years from menopause onset are at higher absolute risks of CHD, VTE, and stroke than women initiating hormone therapy in early menopause. (Level I)”.6

What is Level I?

In this context “Level I: Based on good and consistent scientific evidence”.

What is CHD?

CHD can be an abbreviation for Coronary Heart Disease.

What is VTE?

VTE can be an abbreviation for Venous Thromboembolism.

Health Care Provider

If I choose to use HT what are my risks of heart disease?

In Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You? The Bottom Line: Hormone Therapy Isn’t All Good or All Bad the (United States) Mayo Clinic explain:

“To find out if menopause hormone therapy is a good option for you, talk to your healthcare professional about your symptoms and health risks. You also can ask your healthcare professional for help finding a certified menopause expert. Or check with a professional organization such as The Menopause Society. Be sure to keep the conversation going throughout menopause.

As researchers learn more about menopause hormone therapy and other menopause treatments, recommendations may change. But if you have menopause symptoms that disrupt your sleep or get in the way of daily life, it’s worthwhile to talk to your healthcare professional about treatment options”.7

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

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New or Updated

  1. BMS TV: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
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  6. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2023 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Menopause and Heart Disease
  7. Consumer Video and Podcast Series: 2024 Consumer Videos and Podcasts – Preparing for Your Menopause Healthcare Visit
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    Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease
  9. Deciding About Hormone Therapy
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  12. Fact Sheet: FDA Initiates Removal of “Black Box” Warnings From Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy Products
  13. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
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  16. Finding the Right Hormone Treatments (HRT): Types, Doses and What Works
  17. From Cardiovascular Protection To Cardiovascular Risk: The Metamorphosis of Menopausal Hormone Therapy
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  19. Goredforwomen.org [Go Red for Women, United States]
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  26. Heart Disease, Family Health History, and Familial Hypercholesterolemia
  27. Heart Health for Women [+ Videos]
  28. Heart Health for Women [+ Videos]: Download Heart Health for Women Fact Sheet In Other Languages
  29. Heart Health, Hormones and Menopause With Dr Jeremy London | Dr Louise Newson Podcast
  30. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  31. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): A Summary
  32. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Alternatives To Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  33. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks 
  34. Hormone Therapy
  35. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions
  36. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  37. How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
  38. International Menopause Society (IMS) Recommendations and Key Messages on Women’s Midlife Health and Menopause
  39. Is It Too Late To Start HRT?
  40. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  41. Know Your Numbers They Could Just Save Your Life
  42. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) [+ Video] [Other Languages and Formats]
  43. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Treating Menopause Symptoms [+ Video: Does the Menopause Happen Suddenly?] [Other Languages and Formats]
  44. Life’s Essential 8
  45. Listen To Your Heart: Women and Heart Disease
  46. Managing Menopause Symptoms [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  47. Mayo Clinic Minute: Menopause and the Heart Connection [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  48. Mayo Clinic Minute: What Is Heart Disease? [+ Video]
  49. Mayo Clinic Minute: Signs of Coronary Artery Disease, How To Reduce Your Risk [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
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  51. Menopause
  52. Menopause
  53. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  54. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  55. Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease and Using HRT To Treat Menopause Symptoms
  56. Menopause and Heart Disease
  57. Menopause and Heart Disease
  58. Menopause and Your Heart: HRT Benefit or Risk To Your Heart?
  59. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
  60. Menopause: Identification and Management [NICE Guideline]
    Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease
  61. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Cardiovascular Disease
  62. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Chelation for Coronary Heart Disease: What You Need To Know
  63. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: How Safe Is This Product or Practice?
  64. Online Events International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – Evaluating High-Risk Patients In Menopause At Risk of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)
  65. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: IMS Partnership Symposia Series – What’s Hot? Options for Treatment of Hot Flushes 2025
  66. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2025: Lifestyle Medicine
  67. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2026: New IMS Recommendations: Evidence-Based Management of Vasomotor Symptoms
  68. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2026: New IMS Recommendations – Lifestyle, Diet, Exercise
  69. Online Events [International Menopause Society]: Past Webinars – 2026: New IMS Recommendations – Midlife Body Changes
  70. Rethinking Menopausal Hormone Therapy: For Whom, What, When, and How Long?
  71. Risks and Benefits of MHT
  72. The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society
  73. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause
  74. The Benefits and Risks of Menopause Hormone Therapy for the Cardiovascular System In Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  75. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy
  76. The Women’s Health Initiative Trials: Clinical Messages
  77. Video: Leslie Cho, MD, Discusses CV Risks, Benefits of Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  78. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Cardiovascular Disease In Women
  79. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Menopause and Hormone Therapy: Current Perspectives and Controversies
  80. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Heart Disease, Risk Factors of Developing Heart Disease, and Can I Take Hormones?
  81. Video: Hormone Therapy Protects Bone, Heart, Brain Health During Menopause
  82. What Is Cardiovascular Disease?
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  84. ‘What’s Normal Has Changed’: Navigating Menopausal Hormone Therapy As CVD Risk Grows
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  86. World Menopause Day 2023
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  88. World Menopause Day 2024: Leaflet for Women – Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy [Multiply Languages]
  89. World Menopause Day 2024: Poster for Women – The 5 Ws of Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)
    Hormone Therapy and Heart Disease

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society: Cardiovascular Disease and All Cause Mortality – Key Points. 2022: 780 North American Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf Accessed: 24 December 2025
  2. Cardiovascular Diseases. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1 Accessed: 24 December 2025
  3. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2025:1. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/MenoNote-Deciding-About-HT-2025.pdf Accessed: 24 December 2025
  4. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayesena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published 10 June 2022:3-4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 24 December 2025
  5. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2025:1. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/default-document-library/MenoNote-Deciding-About-HT-2025.pdf Accessed: 24 December 2025
  6. The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society: Cardiovascular Disease and All Cause Mortality – Key Points. 2022: 780. North American Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf Accessed: 24 December 2025
  7. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You? The Bottom Line: Hormone Therapy Isn’t All Good or All Bad. 18 April 2025. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/in-depth/hormone-therapy/art-20046372 Accessed: 24 December 2025
Topic Last Updated: 24 December 2025 – Topic Last Reviewed: 24 December 2025

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