Hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with diabetes mellitus.

Postmenopausal women with type 2 diabetes mellitus have a high risk of cardiovascular disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with estrogens with or without progestagens relieves many climacteric symptoms. Although hormone replacement in theory could have beneficial effects on cardiovascular morbidity, to date no randomized controlled clinical trial has shown positive results in this regard. There are few data with respect to diabetic postmenopausal women. There is no basis for prescription of HRT to diabetic women if the aim is to lower cardiovascular morbidity. On the other hand, there is also no reason not to prescribe HRT to diabetic women to treat climacteric symptoms.