Many researchers have looked at different aspects of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) including its benefits and harms.  A lot of information is available that may be somewhat overwhelming and even confusing.  A group of  researchers reviewed the research to provide  a summary of the work that has been done on the subject.

Black women are at a higher risk for death from cardiovascular disease than white women, but the reasons for this disparity remain a mystery. One possible source of enlightenment in this area was the different medical care and clinical outcomes seen among the two groups of women.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was a clinical trial with more than 10,000 women that had to be halted before its scheduled end because the interim health effects seen on women were particularly harmful.  Women who participated and received combined estrogen plus progestin experienced increases overall risks of breast cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease, venous thrombeoembolism (VTE).  This study was glaring warning sign that the use of combination estrogen and progestin was harmful to women and that indeed, more research on menopause in women had to be conducted.
 

The Heart and Estrogen / Progestin Replacement Study (known as “HERS”) was a randomized clinical trial to determine the long-term effect of estrogen combined with progestin on older post-menopausal women with coronary heart disease. HERS was conducted for 4.1 years and was followed with a subsequent study known as HERS II for an additional 2.7 years. In total, the studies were conducted from 1993 to 2000 and involved 20 outpatient and community-based clinical centers across the United States. HERS had more than 2,700 women (average age = 67) participate.