A study of hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with ischaemic heart disease: the Papworth HRT atherosclerosis study

BJOG. 2002 Sep;109(9):1056-62. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2002.01544.x.

Abstract

Objective: To assess the possible benefit of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the secondary prevention of ischaemic heart disease.

Design: A prospective randomised trial of transdermal HRT in women with definite ischaemic heart disease.

Setting: A regional cardiac unit.

Population: Postmenopausal women with angiographically proven ischaemic heart disease.

Methods: A total of 255 postmenopausal women with angiographically proven ischaemic heart disease were recruited and randomised; 134 were treated with transdermal HRT and 121 acted as controls. The women were seen at six monthly intervals. The primary end points, which were determined by a blinded assessor, were admission to hospital with unstable angina, proven myocardial infarction or cardiac death. A total of 53 (40%) patients withdrew from the HRT group and eight (7%) from the control group. The mean duration of follow up was 30.8 months.

Main outcome measures: Admission to hospital with unstable angina, proven myocardial infarction or cardiac death.

Results: During follow up, there were 53 primary end-point events in the HRT group and 37 in the control group. Using an intention-to-treat analysis, the primary end-point event rate was 15.4 events per 100 patient years for the HRT group compared with 11.9 for the control group (event rate ratio 1.29 (95% CI 0.84-1.95, P = 0.24)). Using a per-protocol analysis, there was an event rate ratio of 1.49 (0.93-2.36, P = 0.11) for the HRT arm compared with the control arm. Particularly during the first two years of follow up, the HRT group had a higher, but not statistically significant, event rate than the control group.

Conclusion: Our findings suggest that transdermal HRT should not be commenced for the purpose of secondary prevention in postmenopausal women with angiographically proven ischaemic heart disease.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Administration, Cutaneous
  • Aged
  • Arteriosclerosis / prevention & control*
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac
  • Estradiol / administration & dosage*
  • Female
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy / methods*
  • Hospitalization / statistics & numerical data
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Myocardial Infarction / etiology
  • Myocardial Ischemia / prevention & control*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Estradiol