In 52,330 women ages 45 to 59, starting contemporary prescription hormone therapy did not raise heart, stroke, clot, or death rates over 12 years

What the research found

Clalit Health Services records for 52,330 women in Israel, ages 45 to 59, with no history of heart disease, blood clots, or cancer, compared women who started contemporary prescription hormone therapy with matched women who saw a gynecologist and did not start it. Matching included age, body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and socioeconomic status. Over an average of 12 years (records ran as long as 23 years), heart attack, stroke, or related heart disease occurred in 2,311 women on therapy (4.4 percent) and 2,383 women not on it (4.6 percent). Death before age 80 occurred in 659 (1.3 percent) versus 653 (1.2 percent). A blood clot occurred in 174 versus 175 women (0.33 percent in both). Results were similar for oral, patch, and gel forms. This is an observational comparison presented as American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2026 abstract MDP0654. It is not peer-reviewed and cannot prove cause. Unmeasured differences remain. It is not a reason to start or stop prescription hormone therapy. That decision is clinician-only. Not medical advice, and not a substitute for heart care.

Evidence level: Human study. A study in people, but an association isn't proof of cause.

Read the original at American Heart Association