Hormone Replacement Therapy and Heart Disease

Q: My doctor wants to start me on hormones to reduce my risk of heart disease. I thought hormone replacement therapy was not recommended anymore.

A: The American Heart Association suggests hormone replacement therapy not be used for the main purpose of preventing heart disease. These recommendations were made after several landmark studies showed that hormone therapy didn’t reduce the risk of heart disease and in some cases actually raised the risk. 

Your physician may recommend short-term use of hormone therapy for treatment of menopausal symptoms, such as night sweats and hot flashes.

Jennifer H. Mieres, M.D., is director of nuclear cardiology and associate professor of clinical medicine at New York University. She’s also a spokesperson for the American Heart Association.