USPSTF Recommends That Menopausal Hormone Therapy Not Be Used to Prevent Chronic Conditions

Based on review of 51 articles published since 2002, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against using combined estrogen-progestin or estrogen-only hormone therapy (HT) to prevent chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease or osteoporosis (“D” recommendation). The USPSTF emphasizes that these recommendations (1) do not apply to treatment of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes or vaginal dryness, and (2) do not apply to menopausal women younger than 50.

The current report acknowledges that, although HT prevents fractures in menopausal women, the excess risks for stroke, venous thromboembolism (VTE), breast cancer (in women taking combination estrogen-progestin HT), dementia, gallbladder disease, and urinary …