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JAMA Internal Medicine (SWAN): HRT Timing & Lower CVD Risk (Sep 2026)

Tier 1: Established: peer-reviewed research or government health authority
Publisher: JAMA Internal Medicine (via VCU Health press release; Olivia Trani) · Published: September 8, 2026 · Accessed: September 8, 2026

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Claims this source supports

  • Study led by Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Pittsburgh, analyzing 20 years of data from women with vasomotor symptoms in SWAN (Study of Women's Health Across the Nation): hormone therapy initiated during peri- or early postmenopause was linked to a 22% lower risk of cardiovascular disease events compared with women who did not use hormone therapy (JAMA Internal Medicine, published Sep 8 2026; press release verified live at vcuhealth.org).
  • The protective association was strongest among Black women and among women who initiated therapy within 10 years of menopause onset (same press release).
  • First study of its kind in the United States to assess risk of future cardiovascular events among women with vasomotor symptoms who use therapy during peri- and early postmenopause; researchers used SWAN clinical data collected 1997-2017 from more than 2,700 women with vasomotor symptoms and no prior cardiovascular events, emulating a series of hypothetical clinical trials (same press release).
  • Cardiovascular events tracked included stroke, congestive heart failure, heart attack, and revascularization procedures (same press release).
  • Observational study, not a randomized controlled trial; senior authors Samar R. El Khoudary (VCU) and Rebecca C. Thurston (Univ of Pittsburgh) state the findings do not support using hormone therapy for cardiovascular disease prevention and should not guide clinical practice (same press release).
  • As with any treatment, potential benefits must be weighed against risks, including the increased breast cancer risk observed with a longer duration of use (same press release).
  • Context: the FDA in 2025 initiated removal of black-box warnings from hormone therapy products, reflecting evolving evidence on benefits and risks (same press release, referencing fda.gov).
  • Vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes and night sweats) affect up to 80% of women during the menopause transition and last an average of seven to ten years (same press release, citing PubMed literature).