HRT can cut heart disease risks if taken early enough

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) pills have mixed risks and benefits in relation to heart disease and stroke depending on when women start taking them.

A large-scale evidence review showed that, overall, oral HRT does not protect against heart disease and may increase the risk of stroke.

However, data from a sub-group of younger women more representative of the majority of patients found a reduced risk of death from any cause and from heart disease linked to the treatment, even though the likelihood of blood clots was slightly raised.