NOTTINGHAM, England, Jan 06, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX)
Britain's University of Nottingham has found hormone replacement therapy is associated with an increased risk of stroke, especially ischaemic stroke. The results, published on British Medical Journal Online, support previous trials that have suggested a link between HRT and stroke.
HRT includes treatments of estrogen or estrogen and progestins for women to relieve symptoms of menopause. The researchers reviewed evidence from 28 completed trials involving 39,769 individuals. HRT was associated with an overall 29 percent increase in the risk of stroke, especially ischaemic stroke, which is caused by an insufficient blood supply to the brain. The severity of stroke also increased with HRT.
The authors said it remains unclear why HRT should increase ischaemic stroke and its severity when some previous studies have suggested it might have a protective effect. However, they said, given their findings, HRT cannot be recommended for the primary or secondary prevention of stroke.
Keep in mind that these results are NOT inclusive of human-identical hormone replacement therapy.

Increased risk of breast cancer a factor, government says
July 9, 2002 Posted: 3:07 PM EDT (1907 GMT)
 WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In a move that may affect millions of women, U.S. government scientists Tuesday stopped a major study of hormone replacement therapy on the risks and benefits of combined estrogen and progestin in healthy menopausal women, citing an increased risk of invasive breast cancer.
Researchers from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health also found increases in coronary heart disease, stroke and pulmonary embolism.