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OBJECTIVE: To assess whether coronary heart ahhdisease mortality in Finnish hormone therapy (HT) users differed before and after 2002 when the Women's Health Initiative study was published. METHODS: The risks of coronary heart disease death in HT users in relation to the age-matched background population were compared between the pre- (1995-2001) and post- (2002-2009) Women's Health Initiative eras. We used a nationwide register on HT (ie, estradiol with or without progestin) reimbursement and linked them to causes of death in 290,272 women aged 40 years or older. RESULTS: Exposure to HT for 1 year or less was accompanied by a 29% reduction (0.71; 0.63-0.80; three per 10,000 fewer deaths) and an exposure of 1-8 years with a 43% reduction (0.57; 0.48-0.66; three per 10,000 fewer deaths) in the risk of coronary heart disease death in the pre-Women's Health Initiative era. In the post- Women's Health Initiative era, HT use of 1 year or less was associated with an 18% reduction (0.82; 0.76-1.00; one per 10,000 fewer deaths) and an exposure of 1-8 years with a 54% reduction (0.46; 0.32-0.64; two per 10.0 fewer deaths) in coronary heart disease mortality. Discontinuation of HT was associated with an increased risk of cardiac death of 42% (1.42; 1.17-1.71; seven per 10.0 extra deaths) in the pre-Women's Health Initiative era and 31% (1.31; 0.92-1.82; two per 10,000 extra deaths) in the post-Women's Health Initiative era during the first posttreatment year. This risk increase vanished in further follow-up during both eras. CONCLUSION: Changes in HT use after the Women's Health Initiative failed to affect coronary heart disease mortality of HT users in this nationwide study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which aims to estimate the risk of endometrial cancer in all Finnish postmenopausal women with the use of various forms of estradiol-progestin therapy. The study identified 224,015 women who used estradiol-progestin therapy from 1994-2006. A total of 1,364 incidence of endometrial cancer in therapy users was compared with the general population. It reveals that the use of a continuous estradiol-progestin regimen decreases the risk of endometrial cancer.

The article offers information on the risk of breast cancer in women undergoing progestogen therapy, using estradiol. A study was conducted among Finnish women using postmenopausal estradiol. The result of the study revealed that the use of estradiol in progestogen therapy has increased the risk for breast cancer.

The article discusses a study of Finnish women aged above 50 years which evaluated whether the risk of estrogen-only therapy on breast cancer varies by dose, constituent, and route of administration. It notes two to three extra cases of breast cancer per 1,000 women for orally or transdermally administered estradiol for five years or more. No risks of breast cancer were associated with oral estradiol use for less than five years, oral estradiol, or vaginal estrogens.