The Menopause Society

TMS 2025: Hormone therapy linked to autoimmune risk in postmenopausal women

October 28, 2025

A retrospective analysis of 1.8 million postmenopausal women found hormone therapy (HT) is associated with a significantly increased risk of autoimmune disease, according to results presented at The Menopause Society annual meeting.

Using TriNetX Global Health Research Network data, researchers compared HT users with non-users over 5 years, 10 years, and the full postmenopausal period. Incidence of autoimmune disease was consistently higher among HT users. Of 17 autoimmune conditions evaluated, all but Graves’ disease and autoimmune hepatitis showed significant risk increases. While the absolute risk rise was modest and varied by condition, these findings underscore the need for individualized HT decisions and further prospective research to clarify causality and mechanisms.

Source:

(2025, October 7). The Menopause Society. Understanding the Association Between Hormone Therapy and Autoimmune Disease Risk. [Press release]. https://menopause.org/press-releases/understanding-the-association-between-hormone-therapy-and-autoimmune-disease-risk