Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital compared the occurrence of GI bleeding among 73,863 menopausal women who were current users and past users of menopausal hormone therapy, as well as those who never touched the stuff. Then they accounted for known risk factors for GI trouble (things like age, smoking, birth control use, body mass index, and use of NSAIDs) to see what the effects of the hormones were. The study revealed that current users have a 50% increased risk of GI bleeding. They’re also more than twice as likely to develop ischemic colitis—inflammation to the large intestine that causes pain and damage—than their hormone-free counterparts. The longer the women had been taking on hormone therapy, the higher their risk. MORE:8 Things To Never Say To Someone Going Through Menopause “This is the first study where we are seeing a causal relationship,” says Prashant Singh, MD, resident physician in the department of internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. “We have known that hormone therapy causes clots in the body, and now we know that the longer someone is on this therapy that there’s a linear relationship to the amount of risk for ischemic colitis and lower GI bleeding.” Past users no longer taking hormones showed no significant increase in GI trouble. MORE: 8 Highly Effective Ways To Make Menopause Less Miserable The bleeding is a result of blood clots forming in the lower GI tract, which can cause blood vessels in the intestines to rupture. This can ultimately bring blood pressure to life-threateningly low levels. “Hormone therapy is effective for managing the symptoms of menopause, but you should talk to your doctor about the pros and cons and your goals for treatment,” Singh suggests. While hormones might be the best solution for hot flashes and osteoporosis for some, there are other options if your health history doesn’t make you a great candidate—or if the risks of therapy have convinced you to avoid it.
