Hormone therapy benefits outweigh risks for younger women
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
For women under 60, hormone therapy effectively treats bothersome menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats but poses few health risks, a new study suggests.
The Harvard-led analysis, published online May 1, 2024, by JAMA, was based on two decades of follow-up data from the Women's Health Initiative, which tracked tens of thousands of women who took hormone therapy. The initial study, published more than 20 years ago, caused many women to stop hormone therapy after results suggested higher risks of breast cancer and stroke.
But researchers have since learned that different types of hormones taken at lower doses pose fewer risks. For example, women can now take an improved version of progesterone called micronized progesterone, which does not increase the risk of breast cancer, study authors said. Similarly, taking estrogen through the skin — via a patch, cream, or gel — is linked to lower risks of blood clots than taking estrogen in pill form.
Researchers now believe that hormone therapy use is safest and most beneficial between the ages of 50 and 60, study authors said. If you're interested, talk to your doctor about your individual risks.
Image: © OLEKSANDRA TROIAN/Getty Images
About the Author
Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
About the Reviewer
Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor
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