When physicians prescribe hormone therapy (HT) for perimenopausal women, many warn their patients of the increased risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE). However, knowing that a large number of patients also take statin medications to prevent cardiovascular issues, it would make sense to study the effect statins may have on the risk of VTE for women using HT. A new study in JAMA Network Open did that very thing and found the risk of VTE was 53% higher in women recently exposed to HT without current statin therapy but 25% higher in women with recent HT exposure and current statin therapy, when compared with women who were not taking either HT or statin drugs. Researchers analyzed data from a commercially insured claims database including 223,949 women aged 50 to 64 years. Individuals taking HT with statin therapy had 18% lower odds of VTE than those taking HT without statins (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.71-0.94), and there was greater risk reduction with higher intensity statins, the researchers concluded.
What to consider for female patients: The study authors say: “These findings suggest that statins may reduce risk of VTE in women exposed to HT and that HT may not be contraindicated in women taking statins.” Learn more about managing thrombosis from the JUCM archive: Cost-Effective Management Of Deep-Vein Thrombosis.