Most U.S. women face heart, stroke risk

Dr. Elizabeth Nabel, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, said the benefits of low-dose aspirin must be weighed against the risk of internal bleeding, “and it is important for women to check with their doctor about this.”

Mosca conceded that in her own practice, “I would probably limit this to women 45 and above,” but would consider it for a younger woman who is overweight, doesn’t exercise and has high cholesterol and is unwilling to change her lifestyle enough to lower her risk.

The guidelines also say that estrogen and progesterone supplements, while often justified for menopause symptoms, should not be taken to prevent heart disease. Nor should so-called SERM drugs, such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, which are used to prevent breast cancer in women at high risk of that disease.

Millions of women stopped taking menopause hormones after a landmark study several years ago found the pills raised the risk of heart problems and breast cancer. A new study in Circulation gives hope that skin patches may prove safer in one key respect.

A French study found that women, aged 45 to 70, taking estrogen pills were four times more likely to suffer a blood clot than women getting it through a patch or not taking estrogen at all.

“If confirmed, these findings could really benefit women who are in need of these hormones to control their post-menopausal symptoms,” said Dr. Alice Jacobs, a Boston University cardiologist and past heart association president

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