Estrogen therapy can help lower the risk of certain health conditions, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, stroke, dementia, and mood changes.
Hormone therapy
is most commonly used to treat common menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes and vaginal discomfort. You and your doctor should consider all of these risks when deciding if hormone therapy might be an option for you. Women who take estrogen alone (women whose uterus has been removed through a hysterectomy) are currently thought to have a more favorable benefit/risk profile than those who receive eptation therapy.Before starting hormone therapy, a thorough physical exam and analyzing the medical history and symptoms are necessary. A new study suggests that a low-fat, plant-based diet rich in soy is as effective as hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in reducing hot flashes. As researchers learn more about hormone therapy and other treatments for menopause, recommendations may change. As a result, Manson said: “Women who would be appropriate candidates are denied hormone therapy for the treatment of your symptoms.
Despite recent encouraging findings, many doctors are still reluctant to prescribe hormone replacement therapy, said Manson, head of the preventive medicine division at Brigham and Women's Hospital and one of the principal investigators of the WHI study. The daily pill and patch are the most popular, but the hormone is also available in the form of a vaginal ring, gel, or spray. If you're looking to alleviate menopausal symptoms, knowing the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help you decide if it's right for you. To begin this review of the benefits and risks of menopausal hormone therapy, here's some background.
Hormone therapy has also been shown to prevent bone loss and reduce fractures in postmenopausal women. For best results, hormone therapy must be adapted to each person and reevaluated from time to time to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks. Hormone therapy stabilizes estrogen and progesterone levels in the body, according to the National Institutes of Health. Medical professionals have changed their views on the role of hormones as more research is being done.
