When women take hormones treatment after menopause, there’s a risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE)— dangerous blood clots that can occur with certain hormones.
Good news: Statins, it seems, can help reduce that risk, based on data from 224,000 women crunched by University of Texas Medical Branch researchers.
That not only means the obvious (women taking hormone therapy can reduce their risk), but that women who have avoided hormone treatment because of the clotting risk might be able to use hormones after all, as long as they also take a statin.
Side note: These same researchers found that the risk of VTE was greater with oral estrogen than with other delivery mechanisms — good to know.
If you’re taking hormones or thinking about it, this is a great time to talk to your compounding pharmacist. Not only are they experts in hormones, they can work with your physician to choose a delivery method that’s best for you and even talk about a statin prescription.
If you’ve been iffy about using hormones, don’t hem and haw: Talk to your pharmacist!
