Sure hormone alternative remedy (HRT) tablets containing each estrogen and progestogen are related to the next danger of coronary heart illness and uncommon however severe blood clots often called venous thromboembolism (VTE) in ladies across the age of menopause, finds a research from Sweden revealed by The BMJ immediately.
One other HRT pill referred to as tibolone was related to an elevated danger of coronary heart illness, coronary heart assault and stroke, however not blood clots, “highlighting the varied results of various hormone mixtures and administration strategies on the danger of heart problems,” say the researchers.
HRT is used to alleviate menopausal signs akin to scorching flushes and evening sweats and totally different therapies can be found relying on signs.
Some earlier trials have urged a hyperlink between menopausal hormone remedy and an elevated danger of heart problems, however data on dangers linked to several types of remedy throughout menopausal transition age is missing.
To deal with this, researchers got down to assess the impact of up to date menopausal hormone remedy on the danger of heart problems in line with the route of administration and mixture of hormones.
Their findings are primarily based on information from 138 emulated trials (observational research that mimic scientific trials), involving 919,614 wholesome ladies in Sweden aged 50-58 between 2007 and 2020 who had not used hormone remedy within the earlier two years. They excluded ladies with a historical past of coronary heart illness, stroke, narrowed arteries, or most cancers, and who had undergone surgical procedure to take away their ovaries, a hysterectomy, or sterilization.
Utilizing month-to-month prescription data, the ladies have been assigned to one in all eight menopausal hormone remedy teams: oral mixed steady, oral mixed sequential, oral unopposed estrogen, oral estrogen with native progestin, tibolone, transdermal mixed, transdermal unopposed estrogen, or no menopausal hormone remedy.
Hospital data have been then used to trace cardiovascular occasions over two years, and different doubtlessly influential elements akin to age, training degree, area of residence, hypertension and diabetes have been taken under consideration.
Throughout this monitoring interval, 24,089 cardiovascular occasions have been recorded among the many 919,614 ladies within the research.
In contrast with not beginning menopausal hormone remedy, beginning oral mixed steady remedy or tibolone was related to an elevated danger of ischemic coronary heart illness. This interprets to roughly 11 new instances of ischemic coronary heart illness per 1,000 ladies who begin remedy with oral mixed steady remedy or tibolone over one 12 months.
No elevated danger of heart problems was discovered for transdermal therapies, which embrace pores and skin patches, gels and lotions.
An elevated danger of blood clots was additionally discovered for oral mixed steady, oral mixed sequential, oral unopposed estrogen, and transdermal mixed remedy. “If 1,000 ladies began every of those therapies and have been noticed for a 12 months, we’d anticipate to see seven new instances of venous thromboembolism throughout all teams,” say the authors.
Tibolone was additionally linked to an elevated danger of stroke and coronary heart assault, however not blood clots.
These are observational findings, so no agency conclusions may be drawn about causality, and the authors level to limitations together with an absence of knowledge on menopausal standing and the likelihood that different unmeasured elements, akin to smoking and physique mass index, might have affected their outcomes.
Nonetheless, by utilizing an emulated goal trial design they lowered the bias frequent to observational research and use of registry information allowed them to differentiate between several types of hormone therapies, together with variations in administration, regimens, and mixtures of hormones.
As such, they are saying: “These findings spotlight the varied results of various hormone mixtures and administration strategies on the danger of heart problems.”
Future analysis ought to examine the potential numerous results on the danger of heart problems primarily based on totally different progestogens utilized in menopausal hormone remedy, they add.
Supply:
Journal reference:
Johansson, T., et al. (2024) Modern menopausal hormone remedy and danger of heart problems: Swedish nationwide register primarily based emulated goal trial. BMJ. doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2023-078784.
