Stroke (CVA) is very common in women, who have a higher risk than men over their lifetime; one in five women between the ages of 55 and 75 will experience a stroke. Stroke is a significant concern for women's health, being the third leading cause of death and causing more deaths than breast cancer. While systematic estrogen containing menopausal HT has been considered contraindicated in those with prior CVA history, is local/vaginal E2 therapy safe? A new population-based study gives us some insights. Listen in for details.

1. Recurrent Ischemic Stroke and Vaginal Estradiol in Women With Prior Ischemic Stroke: A Nationwide Nested Case-Control Study; https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.125.050986

2. NAMS 2022 Position Statement; chrome-https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf

3. Stroke News & Brain Health | Published: August 21, 2025; https://newsroom.heart.org/news/vaginal-estrogen-tablets-may-be-safe-for-postmenopausal-women-who-have-had-a-stroke

4. https://www.obgproject.com/2022/11/21/north-american-menopause-society-releases-2017-hormone-therapy-statement/

5. https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/know-your-risk/risk-factors/risk-of-stroke-in-women-infographic#:~:text=Stroke%20in%20U.S.%20Women%20by,risk%20decreases%20in%20women%20who: