Harvard Study Links Hormone Therapy Drugs to Strokes

A recent Harvard School of Public Health study shows that women who used estrogen hormone therapy had a 40% higher risk of suffering from a stroke than those who did not use a hormone therapy – confirming the results of a previous study that showed similar results.

Details of the study

The study, conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and published in the American Medical Association's Archives of Internal Medicine, analyzed data from over 121,000 women (described as younger, recently menopausal and older women ages 30 – 55) from a Nurses' Health Study that began in 1976 and completed in 2004. The results showed that:

• Women who used estrogen hormone therapy had a 40 percent higher risk of suffering from a stroke than women who did not use hormone therapy drugs.
• Women who used a combination of estrogen and progestin hormone therapy had an additional 27 percent higher risk of suffering from a stroke.

Results mirror previous study

A previous study conducted by the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) looked at the hormone therapy drugs Prempro and Premarin, both manufactured by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals. Researchers studied over 15,000 women and found 24% more cancers among women who took these hormone replacement therapy drugs versus a placebo. However, that study was never officially completed due to increased risks of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer.

100,000 plus victims

Bryan Aylstock, a Florida attorney whose firm protects the rights of consumers who are seriously injured due to hormone replacement therapy drugs, says that the potential victims that have been causally diagnosed with breast cancer related to their hormone replacement therapy is staggering – probably in excess of 100,000. However, the number of cases actually filed is only around 5,000. He explained why, "There's a large population of people out there who still probably don't know that their use of this combination hormone replacement therapy could have caused their breast cancer. I think it's important for them to know that fact."

If you or a loved one has been injured due to the use a hormone replacement therapy drug, contact an attorney to discuss your situation. The consultation is free, without obligation and strictly confidential. To contact a qualified attorney whose practice focuses in this area of the law, please click here. We may be able to help.