ABSTRACT
Arteriosclerotic cardio-and cerebrovascular disease emerged from being a rare disease to the main cause of death in women in the twentieth century. From menopause on, its morbidity plays an increasing role and eventually its mortality outnumbers severe illnesses and classical causes of death in women like breast, cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancer. Thus, in preventive medicine of women, arteriosclerotic vascular disease needs to be adequately considered. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), or hormone therapy, in the peri-and postmenopause is one candidate in the array of possible preventive measures that has become a contentious and hotly debated issue.
