Estrogen-based hormone therapy may be good for heart health
Women prescribed estrogen-based hormone therapy to combat common symptoms of menopause could be doing their hearts a favor, according to new research to be presented at the 2024 annual meeting of The Menopause Society.
The study, focused on new data from the Women’s Health Initiative clinical trials, examined how conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) and CEE plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) impacted long-term patient outcomes. Overall, the two common treatment strategies were both linked to a “favorable influence” on almost every cardiovascular biomarker tracked by researchers. HDL-C, for example, increased by 13% for patients on CEE and 7% for those on CEE plus MPA. In addition, LDL-C was reduced by approximately 11% for both treatments.
Lipoprotein(a) decreased by 15% for patients on CEE and 20% for those on CEE plus MPA. Insulin resistance, meanwhile, decreased by 14% for patients on CEE and 8% for those on CEE plus MPA.
“Although we see a few more favorable effects with CEE, both therapies performed well in relation to their impact on biomarkers except for triglycerides,” lead author Matthew Nudy, MD a cardiologist and professor with Penn State Health and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, said in a statement. “Future research should assess whether other progestogen formulations may be less likely to attenuate estrogen’s long-term effect on cholesterol.”
“For many years, women and healthcare professionals shied away from hormone therapy for fear of the potential adverse health effects,” added Stephanie Faubion, MD, MBA, a professor with Mayo Clinic and medical director for The Menopause Society. “Studies like this are valuable to help women feel more confident about their decision to use hormone therapy for managing their bothersome menopause symptoms, especially hot flashes.”
The Menopause Society was previously known as The North American Menopause Society. Additional details about the group’s annual meeting, taking place in Chicago Sept. 10-14, are available here.
Michael has more than 16 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.