- Researchers are reporting that women who take estrogen in pill form may have a higher risk of high blood pressure than women who receive the hormone via different methods.
- Experts note that menopause can produce a number of health issues, including hypertension, for older women.
- They recommend women’s heart health be monitored as they progress through menopause.
Oral estrogen, taken in pill form, might be connected to a higher risk of high blood pressure when compared to vaginal creams and transdermal patches, according to a
Researchers used health administrative data in Alberta, Canada, from the medical records of 112,000 women aged 45 and older who filled at least two consecutive prescriptions for estrogen-only hormone therapy.
The scientists
High blood pressure for each woman was identified by their health records.
At least one year after the women started the treatment, the researchers looked at the relationship between the method of taking the estrogen-only hormone therapy and the risk of developing high blood pressure.
The findings included:
- Women taking oral estrogen therapy had a 14% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those using the transdermal patch.
- Women taking oral estrogen therapy had a 19% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those using vaginal estrogen creams.
- A stronger association was found among women younger than 70 than among those over 70.
- Compared to estradiol, taking estrogen in the form of conjugated equine estrogen was associated with an 8% higher risk of developing high blood pressure.
- Taking estrogen for a longer amount of time or taking a higher dose was also associated with a greater risk of developing high blood pressure.
“In the study, oral estrogen was associated with a higher incidence of hypertension than transdermal or vaginal,” said Dr. Monte Swarup, FACOG, an OB/GYN in…
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