Many women worry that menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) might shorten life. A large study from Denmark gives some reassuring news. Researchers found that using menopausal hormone therapy did not hasten death.

This study followed Danish women born between 1950 and 1977. All women were alive at age 45. Researchers began tracking each woman on her 45th birthday and followed her until July 31, 2023. After removing women with certain health problems, the study included 876,805 women.

About 11.9% of the women filled a prescription for menopausal hormone therapy. Over time, 5.4% of the women in the study died. The typical follow-up time was about 14 years.

The main question was simple: Did women who used hormone therapy die sooner?

The answer was no.

After adjusting for many health and social factors, women who used menopausal hormone therapy had a hazard ratio for death of 0.96 compared with women who did not use it. A number close to 1.0 means the risk was about the same. In other words, hormone therapy did not increase the risk of death.

When researchers looked at how long women used therapy, results were similar. Short-term users had a hazard ratio near 1. Longer-term users sometimes showed slightly lower risk. Importantly, there were no clear differences in deaths from heart disease, cancer, or other causes.

The study also looked at women who had both ovaries removed between ages 45 and 54. Among these women, those who used hormone therapy had a 27–34% lower risk of death than those who did not. They also tended to live several years longer.

Even with these reassuring findings, we should be careful. This research was done in Denmark, and many of the hormone products and prescribing patterns began in 1995. Health systems, lifestyles, and medication types may differ from those in the United States today. Because of this, the results may not perfectly apply to modern U.S. women.

The bottom line: In this large Danish study, menopausal hormone therapy did not appear to shorten life. Women should still talk with physician about personal risks and benefits when deciding whether hormone therapy is right for them.

I hope this helps.