Types of estrogen recommended for patients:
Which is better, animal sources of estrogen or plant sources estrogen? Should a pill or a patch be prescribed?
Animal vs. plant sources of estrogen:
Smith, NL et al performed an observational study on 384 women ages 30-79 over 6 years which compared adverse outcomes during the use of conjugated horse estrogen and estradiol as part of a hormone replacement therapy regimen. It was found that conjugated horse estrogen was associated with a higher risk of venous thrombosis and a non-statistically significant greater risk of heart attack compared to estradiol. The conjugated horse estrogen did not increase the risk of stroke, but was noted to lead to higher measurements of clot promoting substances in the blood. Further research is needed to confirm these findings. (9)