USPSTF Reaffirms Recommendations Against Menopausal Hormone Therapy for Primary Prevention

Background

Menopausal hormone replacement therapy is the most effective treatment for women with menopausal symptoms. Its use in asymptomatic women, as a strategy to prevent chronic disease, was determined to confer considerable harms 20 years ago, with the publication of the original results of the Women's Health Initiative and Heart and Estrogen/progestin Replacement trials.

In an update of their 2017 recommendations (NEJM JW Womens Health Jan 2018 and JAMA 2017; 318:2224), the USPSTF evaluated 20 randomized trials (of which 2 were published since the 2017 recommendations) on the benefits and risks of hormone therapy. The Task Force found adequate-quality evidence of modes…