FDA-approved hormone therapies have been associated with dangerous side effects.
Principal Results From the Women’s Health Initiative: This study found that therapy using conjugated equine estrogens and medroxyprogesterone (neither bio-identical) were associated with increased risk of breast cancer, stroke, blood clot in the lungs, and heart disease. Risk of hip fracture and colorectal cancer were reduced.
Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators: Jacques E. Rossouw, MBChB, MD, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Bethesda, Md; Garnet L. Anderson, PhD, Ross L. Prentice, PhD, Andrea Z. LaCroix, PhD, and Charles Kooperberg, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash; Marcia L. Stefanick, PhD, Stanford University Clinical Center, Stanford, Calif; Rebecca D. Jackson, MD, Ohio State University Clinical Center, Columbus; Shirley A. A. Beresford, PhD, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Wash; Barbara V. Howard, PhD, MedStar Research Institute, Washington, DC; Karen C. Johnson, MD, MPH, University of Tennessee, Memphis; Jane Morley Kotchen, MD, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Judith Ockene, PhD, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.
Womens Health Initiative – Cancer – PDF: This study found that estrogen therapy (not bio-identical) combined with progestins (artificial, not bio-identical progesterone) are associated with increased risk of breast cancer.
Chelbowski RT, Hendrix SL, Langer RD, et al. Influence of estrogen plus progestin breast cancer and mammography in healthy postmenopausal women. The women’s health initiative randomized trial.
JAMA 2003;289:3243–53.
Oral versus Transdermal Estrogen: This study showed an increase in the inflammatory marker CRP, (associated with cardiovascular disease risk) in users of oral non bio-identical HRT compared to transdermal bio-identical estradiol.
VongpatanasinW, Tuncel M,Wang Z, et al. Differential effects of oral versus transdermal estrogen replacement therapy on C-reactive protein in postmenopausal women.
J Am Coll Cardiol 2003;41:1358–63.
