Early Menopause Hormone Therapy Linked to Lower Cardiovascular Risk in Women with Hot Flashes

A SWAN-cohort analysis found that starting menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) in perimenopause or early postmenopause for women with vasomotor symptoms is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (HR 0.78 overall; 0.73 if begun within 10 years of menopause). The benefit appears strongest among Black women (HR 0.51). These findings are observational and not a recommendation to use MHT for CVD prevention; randomized trials are still needed. The study included 2,737 women, with about 9–12 years of follow-up and 224 cardiovascular events.