“With regard to coronary heart risk we saw evidence, although it was not conclusive, that hormone therapy may benefit younger women and harm older women,” Women's Health Initiative (WHI) project officer Jacques Rossouw, MD, tells WebMD (April 3, 2007, http://www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20070403/timing-key-hormone-heart-risk).
Basically, women who started hormone therapy within 10 years of the onset of menopause showed no increase risk of heart disease, compared to the increased risk among women taking hormones 20+ years after menopause or after age 69. These findings should be positive for younger women undergoing treatment for menopausal symptoms, but do not bode well for those of us in our 50's or older.
What is your experience and where do you stand on this issue?