Menopausal hormone therapy with conjugated equine estrogen is associated with a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke than therapy with estradiol: a retrospective population-based cohort study

•Studies show that menopausal hormone therapy decreases the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, but the risk with the use of estradiol versus the use of conjugated estrogens remains undetermined.•In this study the incidence of hemorrhagic stroke was 1.23-fold higher in women treated with conjugated estrogens than in those treated with estradiol, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.50.•Menopausal hormone therapy with conjugated estrogens initiated within 5 years of menopause was associated with a higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke than menopausal hormone therapy with estradiol (hazard ratio 1.47).