Thrombosis: -no-risk-with-cutaneous-hormonal-treatments-for-menopause,-affirms-a-study

Thrombosis: no risk with topical hormone therapy for menopause, a study claims

October 23, 2026

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Health

A large study confirms that topical hormone treatments for menopause do not increase the risk of thrombosis.

By Nicolas Gutierrez C. THE October 23, 2026 at 1:40 PM Subscribers

This study of more than one million women in Denmark confirms that oral hormonal treatments increase this risk, unlike cutaneous treatments, which are predominant in France, and which have proven to be safe.

Patch and gel treatments have proven to be safe for cardiovascular health.

Photo by COLLANGES / BSIP / BSIP VIA AFP

In France, only 4.4% of women aged between 45 and 60 were taking hormone replacement therapy for menopause in 2025, according to a study Epi-Phare published in June 2026. The reason is the bad reputation of these drugs following studies that have highlighted an association between certain forms of these treatments and various health risks.

However, these proven risks do not apply to the treatments used in France. For example, the increased risk of breast cancer is linked to a synthetic form of progesterone that is not used in France. Here, the forms used in almost all cases are either micronized natural progesterone or dydrogesterone, which do not increase this risk.

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Menopause Hormones