The level of calcium in the coronary arteries is an important predictor of future cardiovascular risks. A new study "Estrogen therapy and coronary-artery calcification" published on 21 June 2007 in NEJM, 356:2591-2602, found women between 50 and 59 who took estrogen had significant lower coronary-artery calcification than those who received placebo. However the authors note that "estrogen has complex biologic effects and may influence the risk of cardiovascular events and other outcomes through multiple pathways" and conclude that hormone therapy should be given with the lowest effective dose for the shortest duration.
In 2002, a WHI study indicated that women who took hormone therapy had substantially higher risk of heart attacks resulting in many women stop taking the drugs overnight.
In April 2007, WHI published a new analysis from 2 hormone trials to bring the effects into sharper focus by years since menopause. Read the summaries of the findings : "Postmenopause hormone therapy and risk of cardiovascular disease by age and years since menopause".
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