Does Stopping Menopausal Hormone Therapy Have Cardiovascular Consequences?

In a recently published large observational study from Finland, investigators concluded that stopping menopausal hormone therapy (HT) raises risk for death from cardiovascular disease (CVD; including cardiac and cerebrovascular events). Using nationwide data from 1994–2009, they analyzed CVD mortality in 332,202 women who discontinued HT compared with expected CVD mortality in the background population.

During the first year after HT discontinuation, elevations in cardiac and stroke mortality were observed (standardized mortality ratios, 1.26 and 1.63, respectively), while in subsequent years, reductions in such mortality occurred compared with the general population (P<0.05 for all comparisons). The absolute increased risk for CVD death rep…