Study design and main outcome measures

We extracted from a population-based ACS register, FINAMI, 7258 postmenopausal women with the first ACS. These data were combined with HT use data from the National Drug Reimbursement Register; 625 patients (9%) had used various HT regimens. The death risks due to ACS before admission to hospital, 2–28, or 29–365 days after the incident ACS were compared between HT users and non-users with logistic regression analyses.

Results

In all follow-up time points, the ACS death risks in HT ever-users were smaller compared to non-users. Of women with HT ever use, 42% died within one year as compared with 52% of non-users (OR 0.62, p < 0.001). Most deaths (84%) occurred within 28 days after the ACS, and in this group 36% of women with ever use of HT (OR 0.73, p = 0.002) and 30% of women with ≥5 year HT use (OR 0.54, p < 0.001) died as compared to 43% of the non-users. Age ≤60 or >60 years at the HT initiation was accompanied with similar reductions in ACS mortality risk.

Conclusions

Postmenopausal HT use is accompanied with reduced mortality risk after primary ACS.