Women who start hormone therapy at age 60 or older or more than 10 years after the start of menopause are at greater risk of suffering from the above conditions. You may be able to control menopausal hot flashes with healthy lifestyle approaches, such as staying cool, limiting caffeinated drinks and alcohol, and practicing regular, relaxed breathing or other relaxation techniques. There are also several over-the-counter hormone medications that can help ease hot flashes. A woman officially enters menopause when she has gone an entire year without having a menstrual period.
At this time, she is now considered to have been in menopause for a year. The window of opportunity to start hormone therapy is 9 to 10 years after the official start of menopause. In other words, once a woman stops menstruating, she has a decade to consider hormone therapy. Starting hormone therapy after this period has risks that outweigh the benefits for most of women.
Research suggests that women who used HRT have a lower risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease, BUT only if they started HRT in the “opportunity period”. If a woman started hormone therapy outside of this period, studies suggest that women have a higher risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease. Therefore, starting hormone replacement therapy later in life actually caused negative health outcomes, while starting it earlier was found to be protective. So is there an age limit for hormone therapy? The short answer is no. There is no specific age at which hormone therapy becomes inappropriate.
Rather, the decision to undergo hormone therapy should be based on a number of factors, such as your general health, your symptoms and your personal preferences. The current prevailing philosophy regarding the initiation of hormone therapy is to start it within 10 years after the last menstrual period and before the age of 60. Ultimately, the decision to undergo hormone therapy should be made in consultation with your healthcare provider. They can help you weigh the risks and benefits of hormone therapy based on your individual circumstances. But we do know that hormones actually help keep women's cardiovascular risk low, especially when estrogen is used transdermally.
As a postmenopausal woman, you have to live with long-term hormone deficiency, so there's every reason to treat it by replacing lost hormones, not only to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms of menopause but, more importantly, to protect your future health. Hormone therapy involves the use of medications to replace hormones that the body no longer produces in sufficient quantity. You may be concerned about the long-term risks associated with low levels of hormones that occur during menopause later in life, such as the risk of cardiovascular disease (disease of the heart and blood vessels) and osteoporosis (a disease that weakens bones), as well as diabetes, dementia and depression. There are ongoing debates and research on the long-term effects of hormone therapy in women over 60 years of age or more than 10 years after menopause.
For women, hormone therapy is generally recommended for women who have significant menopause-related symptoms, such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and mood changes. Misunderstandings and misconceptions surrounding hormone therapy still exist today, which confuses women about your options. B, I've already talked about the many ins and outs of menopausal hormone treatments in the past, but the pros and cons of various treatments can be wildly confusing even after reading expert advice. Hormone therapy is most commonly used to treat common menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and vaginal discomfort.
