“Some studies suggest that HT might be good for your heart if you start before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause. However, if you start HT further from menopause…”.1
Umbrella
What may the Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke 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)
- Stroke
Cardiovascular Diseases
What are cardiovascular diseases (CVDs)?
DotS the definition of CVDs may vary. The World Health Organization’s definition is:
Type

What can it be important to be clear about with hormone therapy (HT), heart disease and stroke information?
It can be important to be clear about the type of HT – Estrogen Plus Progestogen HT or Estrogen Therapy.
Younger Than Age 60 or Not
What can it also be important to be clear about with HT, heart disease and stroke information?
It can also be important to be clear about whether HT, heart disease and stroke information is about women “younger than age 60 years or within 10 years of menopause”.
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 and stroke?
On page one in Deciding About Hormone Therapy: Potential Risks, published July 2022, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) explain:
“As with all medications, HT is associated with some potential risks. For healthy women with bothersome hot flashes aged younger than 60 years or within 10 years of menopause, the benefits of HT generally outweigh the risks. Hormone therapy might slightly increase your risk of stroke or blood clots in the legs or lungs (especially if taken in pill form)”.3
After Age 60
For women after age 60 or further than 10 years from menopause, what is the association between HT, heart disease and stroke?
On page one in Deciding About Hormone Therapy: Potential Risks, the NAMS also note:
“Some studies suggest that HT might be good for your heart if you start before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause. 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”.4
U.S. Preventative Services Task Force
In 2022, what did the (United States) U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) note in their final recommendations about the use of HT for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons?
In Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions, published 01 November 2022, the USPSTF’s recommendations include:
The USPSTF recommends against the use of combined estrogen and progestin for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons”.5
In Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions, published 01 November 2022, the USPSTF’s recommendations also include:
The USPSTF recommends against the use of estrogen alone for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons who have had a hysterectomy”.6
Health Care Provider
What if I choose to use HT and would like to lower my risk of heart disease and/or stroke?
If you would like to choose to use HT and lower your risk of heart disease and/or stroke, it may be in your best interest to also choose to talk to your health care provider about this. Together you can discuss your options and if required, agree on who may be the most appropriate health care provider to help you.
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics related to Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
Links
Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke?
Your Country may have Links similar to:
Links
This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.New or Updated
- 9 Myths and Misunderstandings About Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT): 4. Misunderstanding – MHT Increases the Risk of Heart Disease
- BMS & WHC’s 2020 Recommendations on Hormone Replacement Therapy In Menopausal Women
- Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
- Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
- Bioidentical Hormones Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
- COVID-19 & CVD
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Complementary Medicine Options for Menopausal Symptoms
- Complementary and Alternative Therapies Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- Dr Gail Busby – I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – Episode 9 The Menopause
- EMAS Menopause Essentials
- EMAS Replay [Webinars: Multiply Languages]
- Early Menopause: Experiences and Perspectives of Women and Health Practitioners – Resources and Information: Quick Links – 1. Question Prompt List
- Estrogen & Hormones: Estrogen & Heart Disease
- Estrogen & Hormones: Estrogen & Heart Disease – Post-Menopausal Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Estrogen, Hormone Therapy and Menopause
- Family History
- Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
- Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
- Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
- Goredforwomen.org [Go Red for Women]
- HRT – Types, Doses and Regimens
- HRT: Benefits and Risks
- HRT: Summary
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions
- Hormone Therapy for Menopause
- Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
- Hot Flashes
- Hot Flashes
- How To Find Relief for Hot Flashes At Night
- Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
- How To Prevent Heart Disease After Menopause
- 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
- Know Your Numbers? They Could Just Save Your Life
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Postmenopause Health – The Menopause: Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) [+ Video: Is HRT Bad for You?]
- Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Postmenopause Health – Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Myths]
- Learning To Cope With Hot Flashes
Lifestyle and Behaviour Changes for Menopausal Symptoms
- Lifestyle and Behavioural Modifications for Menopausal Symptoms
- Life’s Essential 8
- Looking After Yourself
- Making Sense of Menopausal Hormone Therapy Means Understanding the Benefits As Well As the Risks
- Managing Menopausal Symptoms—Hormone Replacement Therapy Is Not the Only Option!
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Minute: Signs of Coronary Artery Disease, How To Reduce Your Risk [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
- Mayo Mindfulness: Tackle Stress, Anxiety and Depression To Benefit Your Heart
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy and Venous Thromboembolism
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy, Heart Disease and Stroke
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy – Fact Sheet
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause FAQs: Hormone Therapy for Menopause Symptoms
- Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
- Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Stages of Menopause: Postmenopause
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 3. The Risks & Benefits of HRT
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 4. The Different Types of HRT
- Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 5. Lifestyle Advice In Menopause & Perimenopause
- Menopause Mindfulness: Embracing the Change of My Midlife
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Treating Vasomotor Symptoms of Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated With Menopause and Midlife
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Lifestyle Tips for Menopause
- Menopause Preparedness Toolkit: A Woman’s Empowerment Guide
- Menopause Treatment
- Menopause and Heart Disease: Does Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Affect Your Risk of Heart and Circulatory Disease?
- Menopause and Cardiovascular Risk
- Menopause and Heart Disease
- Menopause and Your Health
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Cardiovascular Disease
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Chelation for Coronary Heart Disease: What You Need To Know
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
- Non-Estrogen Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
- NonHormonal Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
- Postmenopause
- Preventing Cardiovascular Disease
- Preventing Deep Vein Thrombosis
- Report on Latest Menopause Science Looks At Heart Risks
- Risks and Benefits of MHT
- The Heart Truth
- Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
- Video Series-2020: What You Need to Know About Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
- Video Series-2021: What You Need to Know About the #1 Cause of Death in Women
- Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
- Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Prevention of Chronic Diseases In Women: Where Does MHT Fit In?
- Webinars: Previous – The Early Menopausal Patient
- Webinars: Previous – Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease With MHT – Where Are We Now?
- Webinars: Previous – The Heart of the Matter
- What Are the Benefits and Risks of HRT?
- What Everyone Should Know About Menopause Symptoms
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 19 December 2022
- Cardiovascular Diseases. World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/cardiovascular-diseases#tab=tab_1 Accessed: 19 December 2022
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 19 December 2022
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Risks. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 19 December 2022
- Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions. 01 November 2022. U.S. Preventative Services Task Force https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/menopausal-hormone-therapy-preventive-medication Accessed: 19 December 2022
- Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions. 01 November 2022. U.S. Preventative Services Task Force https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/menopausal-hormone-therapy-preventive-medication Accessed: 19 December 2022