MHT Initiation May Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in Women With Vasomotor Symptoms

TUESDAY, Sept. 22, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) initiation in perimenopausal or recently postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms may reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, with more pronounced benefits in women who initiated MHT within 10 years of menopause, according to a study published online Sept. 8 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Ziyuan Wang, Ph.D., from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, and colleagues estimated the effect of MHT on CVD risk among perimenopausal and recently postmenopausal women with vasomotor symptoms using cohort data from the Study of Women”s Health Across the Nation (1997 to 2017).

Overall, 755 of the 2,737 women who reported any vasomotor symptoms initiated MHT during the 20-year follow-up period; 224 fatal and nonfatal CVD events occurred during this time. The researchers found that the estimated adjusted hazard ratio was 0.78 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.62 to 0.98) for CVD events with MHT initiation versus noninitiation. Among women initiating MHT 10 or fewer versus more than 10 years from the onset of menopause, the estimated adjusted hazard ratios were 0.73 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.58 to 0.93) and 1.53 (95 percent confidence interval, 0.66 to 3.52), respectively. The MHT initiation effect was modified by race and ethnicity, with a protective effect for Black women (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.51; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.33 to 0.81), but no clear effects were reported in White women or those of other races.

“The timing of menopause really does interact with when a woman should consider hormonal therapy,” Stephanie McNally, M.D., medical director at the Northwell Katz Institute for Women”s Health, said in a statement.

Two authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

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