Mortality Associated with Hormone Replacement Therapy in Postmenopausal Women

There was controversy about decrease in mortality as the eventual result of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The reduction of mortality was known in large observational-cohort studies in women with HRT compared with non-HRT after correction of confounding factors. The second analysis of Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) results revealed that the 30% decrease in mortality was observed in HRT users. These findings resemble with the results of past observational studies. The meta-analysis including the second analysis of WHI results showed that HRT use in young menopausal women decrease the mortality. Although there was a chaos about the risk and benefit of HRT since the first announcement of WHI study in 2002, HRT in young menopausal women could decrease the morbidity and mortality related to coronary heart disease and stroke. (J Korean Soc Menopause 2012;18: 133-138)