Menopause and Myths about Hormone Replacement Therapy

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Menopause and Myths about Hormone Replacement
Therapy
For the large majority of us who suffer one or
more symptoms of menopause, we can all agree that
it is NO FUN. So what can we do about it?
According to the American Menopause Society
(NAMS), a leading group of health care providers
who specialize in health issues for women at
perimenopause and beyond, hormone replacement
therapy (also known as estrogen replacement
therapy or hormone therapy) remains the most
effective treatment for the symptoms of menopause.
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Menopause and Myths about Hormone Replacement
Therapy
What is Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) supplements a
womans estrogen levels during perimenopause and
menopause, helping diminish the unpleasant
symptomsnight sweats, hot flashes, vaginal
dryness, sleep disturbancethat result from
decreasing estrogen levels. HRT can be taken in
various formspill, patch, gel, sprayand either
given as estrogen alone (typically used for women
who have had a hysterectomy) or combined with
progestin for women who still have their uterus
(progestin is protective against risk of uterine
cancer when estrogen is used alone).
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Menopause and Myths about Hormone Replacement
Therapy
Why has HRT gotten such a bad rap?
Hormone replacement therapy has gotten a bad rap,
in large part due to the Womens Health
Initiative (WHI) study published in 2001. The
WHI indicated that hormone replacement therapy
led to increased breast cancer risk, increased
risk of stroke, and blood clots, among other
health issues. When the WHI study findings came
out, HRT usage among peri- and menopausal women
plummeted, and has yet to recover, even 16 years
later. However, the study was found to be
plagued with several flaws that were corrected in
later studies. Still, confusion remains.
According to the NAMS 2012 position statement on
HRT use, Ten years have passed since the
publication of the first results of the Womens
Health Initiative (WHI) hormone therapy trials.
The debate that followed gave women and their
providers the impression that the experts dont
agree on the topic of hormone therapy.
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Menopause and Myths about Hormone Replacement
Therapy
So is HRT OK for me to use or not?
The ultimate conclusion, with consensus by the
North American Menopause Society, Society for
Reproductive Medicine, and the American the
Endocrine Society, is that most healthy,
recently menopausal women can use hormone
replacement therapy for relief of their
symptoms. 1 Scientists who conducted a
13-year, long-term follow-up of WHI participants
concurred, reporting in 2015 that, For most
recently menopausal women, benefits of HRT
outweigh the risks. In short, hormone
replacement therapy is not a one-size-fits all
solution, and the decision to take it should take
into account numerous factors, including a
womans health and family history, the severity
of her symptoms, age of menopause, etc.
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Thank You