A new study by researchers in Canada and Germany suggests that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) skin patches containing low doses of oestrogen carry less risk of stroke than oral therapy and may represent a safer alternative to tablets.
However, the risk increases significantly with high dose patches.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapy can be likened to an 'oasis in the desert' for women in the throes of menopause.
Advertisement
HRT is regularly prescribed to women suffering from the effects of the menopause. However, most studies have shown an increased risk of stroke associated with taking HRT. There is also evidence that different routes of administering HRT may be associated with a different risk of cerebrovascular events.
So, researchers of the new study assessed the risk of stroke associated with oral and transdermal (through the skin) HRT in post-menopausal women in the UK.
![Stroke]( "Stroke")
Stroke can cause permanent disability and it is important to recognize its early warning signs to stop its progress. Early warning signs of stroke include sudden weakness of facial muscles.
Their findings are based on data from the General Practice Research Database (GPRD), which holds the anonymised medical records of millions of patients registered with family doctors across the UK.
From a population of over 870,000 women aged 50-79 between January 1987 and October 2006, they identified 15,710 cases with a first recorded diagnosis of stroke occurring in the study period. Each case was matched to 59,958 controls.
Exposure to HRT was categorised into oestrogens only, oestrogens plus progestogen, progestogen only, and tibolone. Oestrogens were further subdivided according to the route of administration (oral or transdermal) and to the dose (high or low).
The risk of stroke was not increased with use of low oestrogen dose patches compared with no use, whereas the risk was increased by up to 88 percent with high dose patches.
Use of oral HRT increased the rate of stroke by around 25-30 percent compared with no use, regardless of the oestrogen dose or when combined with progestogen.
There was no risk increase with short-term use (less than one year) of the oral formulations, but longer-term users (more than one year) of the oral agents had a 35 percent increased risk.
The study has been published on bmj.com.
Source: ANI
Stroke
Stroke can cause permanent disability and it is important to recognize its early warning signs to stop its progress. Early warning signs of stroke include sudden weakness of facial muscles.
Advertisement
Their findings are based on data from the General Practice Research Database (GPRD), which holds the anonymised medical records of millions of patients registered with family doctors across the UK.
From a population of over 870,000 women aged 50-79 between January 1987 and October 2006, they identified 15,710 cases with a first recorded diagnosis of stroke occurring in the study period. Each case was matched to 59,958 controls.
Exposure to HRT was categorised into oestrogens only, oestrogens plus progestogen, progestogen only, and tibolone. Oestrogens were further subdivided according to the route of administration (oral or transdermal) and to the dose (high or low).
The risk of stroke was not increased with use of low oestrogen dose patches compared with no use, whereas the risk was increased by up to 88 percent with high dose patches.
Use of oral HRT increased the rate of stroke by around 25-30 percent compared with no use, regardless of the oestrogen dose or when combined with progestogen.
There was no risk increase with short-term use (less than one year) of the oral formulations, but longer-term users (more than one year) of the oral agents had a 35 percent increased risk.
The study has been published on bmj.com.
Source: ANI
Quiz on Menopause
Menopause is inevitable in a woman's life and it would be apt to be well prepared for it. Learn more about menopause and the best ways of managing it by going through this quiz.
Advertisement
 Stroke - Top Ten FactsStroke is the third most common cause of death and the most prominent cause of physical deformity in the world | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Women Health News
Women involved in motor vehicle crashes during pregnancy were at increased risk of various adverse pregnancy outcomes, especially while riding scooters.
Are shift works bad for women's health? Yes, Women who are working rotating shifts are more likely to be frail.
Psychologists found that a pregnant woman's mindset can impact childbirth outcomes, with those viewing it as natural having fewer interventions.
The study reveals that pregnancy-related mortality rates were stable with rising COVID-19–related death rates among reproductive-age women.
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) related weight gain, hair loss, infertility, and many other issues can be solved by including a few drinks in the routine diet.