Aug. 16 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles found that vaginal estrogen use in post-menopausal women does not increase the risk of cancer, other diseases.
Previous studies have shown that women taking estrogen in pill form may have an increased risk of stroke and blood clots. For women taking oral estrogen with progesterone pills, there was an increased risk of invasive breast cancer.
The study, published in the August edition of Menopause, showed that the risk of stroke, invasive breast cancer, colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer and pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis was not higher for women who used vaginal estrogen compared to non-users.
Researchers analyzed women age 50 to 79 in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study from 40 clinical health centers in the United States.
Researchers found that the risk of cancer, stroke, coronary heart disease and pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis in women who had hysterectomies was not higher in women who used vaginal estrogen.
