Incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer and death in postmenopausal women affirming use of hormone replacement therapy.

AIM: The goal of this study was to evaluate the incidence of myocardial infarction, cancer and death in relation to use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). METHODS: Nine years' follow up of an urban cohort of peri-/postmenopausal women was undertaken. Local and national registers were used for retrieval of events. RESULTS: The incidence of myocardial infarction per 1.000 person-years in users and non-users was 0.61 (5/962) and 2.20 (92/4759) respectively, adjusted relative risk (RR) 0.37; 95% confidence interval 0.15-0.90. Rates of mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer were 0.36 and 1.10, p= 0.058, and 2.60 and 2.09, p=0.360 respectively. In terms of all-cause mortality the adjusted RR was 1.02; 0.69-1.52, incidence of cancer 1.28; 1.01-1.64, breast cancer 1.52; 1.01-2.28 and endometrial cancer 3.61; 1.54-8.46. CONCLUSIONS: Women affirming use of HRT had a lower incidence of myocardial infarction. Further studies are needed to assess whether the absence of effect on total mortality may be accounted for by an increased cancer risk