WEDNESDAY, June 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For women aged 40 years and older, menopausal hormone therapy (HT) use declined between 2007 and 2023 and remains low, according to a study published in the June issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
Stephanie S. Faubion, M.D., from Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, and colleagues conducted a retrospective population-based cohort study using deidentified medical and pharmacy claims data for commercially insured and Medicare Advantage women aged 40 years and older in the United States from 2007 to 2023 to evaluate nationwide trends in systemic menopausal HT use.
The researchers found that in women aged 40 years and older, systemic HT use declined from 4.4 percent in 2007 to 1.7 percent in 2023. The most common route of administration was oral HT. Among women aged 45 to 49, 50 to 54, and 55 to 59 years, HT use decreased from 2.9, 5.8, and 7.1 percent in 2007 to 1.5, 3.4, and 3.5 percent in 2023, respectively. Among White women, HT use was consistently highest.
"We have strong evidence that hormone therapy is safe and effective for many women, but that hasn't translated into how it's used in clinical practice," Faubion said in a statement.
Several authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical, health technology, and publishing industries.
