This is because estrogen alone, when not balanced by progesterone, can stimulate the growth of the lining of the uterus, increasing the risk of endometrial cancer. If your uterus hasn't been removed, your doctor will usually prescribe estrogen along with progesterone or progestin (a drug similar to progesterone). If your uterus was removed (hysterectomy), you may not need to take progestin. Women's Health Initiative (WHI) trials conducted in the U.S.
They were designed to study cardiovascular risk, and the UK's Million Women Study (MWS) investigated the risk of breast cancer in women who used different types of hormone replacement therapy. Other conditions, such as heart disease, stroke, fractures and ovarian cancer, also have different patterns of association with different forms of hormone therapy, making the picture much more complex than it initially seemed. This form of hormone therapy combines doses of estrogen and progesterone (also called progestin, which is the name for all the hormones that act like progesterone, including synthetic ones). However, it is likely that many other women have avoided inappropriate treatment with hormone therapy and have increased their risk of breast cancer and other conditions, as a result of new evidence accumulated over the past 15 years.
In addition, the risk appears to be greater when hormone therapy is started around menopause and not later. Your doctor can help you determine these risks and benefits to determine if HRT is the right option for you. Hormonal hormone therapy can also help with bone loss (osteoporosis and osteopenia), a common condition in people who are assigned female sex at birth (AFAB) who don't have enough estrogen. It is estimated that tens of thousands of cases of breast cancer have been prevented worldwide in the last decade due to the decline in the use of hormone replacement therapy.
Your GP can provide you with more information about the different types of hormone therapy and other ways to manage menopausal symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helps treat menopausal symptoms, such as vaginal dryness and hot flashes. Nowadays, the choice to use hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is highly personalized and based on women's needs and potential risk factors, says Dr. Reproductive Endocrinologist at the Cedars-Sinai Center for Reproductive Medicine and Fertility.
None of the alternatives (diet, exercise, SSRIs (antidepressants) or other prescription medications, herbal remedies such as red clover and black cohosh, nor “bioidentical” or “natural” hormones, have proven to be as effective as HRT in controlling symptoms, such as hot flashes. The publication of the WHI results on heart disease and the MWS results on breast cancer in 2002 and 2003 caused a marked and rapid drop in the worldwide prescription of hormonal hormonal therapy. Over the past 15 years, these studies and others have found little or no evidence that HRT reduces the risk of heart disease.
