Main indication for using oral hormonal replacement therapy (HRT) is best therapy in symptomatic women for relief of menopausal hot flashes that are bothersome, disrupt sleep or adversely affect a women’s quality of life. Treating the symptoms of menopause is individualized and often based on your philosophies for the various treatment options. Discuss the treatment choices with your health care provider to understand what is best for you.

In 2002, the famous Women’s Health Initiative study studies 27,347 women aged 50 to 79 who took Estrogen only or Estrogen/Progesterone. The WHI study was prematurely stopped three years ahead of schedule when researchers found a higher risk of breast cancer, blood clots, stroke and heart attack in women on hormone therapy. When this information was given to the public, I think doctors stopped prescribing HRT and all women who took HRT, stopped taking it!

More than 20 years later we now know HRT is safe and has many health benefits beyond symptoms related to menopause. Brain and heart health are being embarrassed as benefits to using HRT.
Further studies showed that when HRT was started within 10 years of menopause or <60year, the risks are few and generally were outweighed by the benefits. However, when HRT was started >60year, the reverse was true…the risks NOW outweighed the benefits. Dose and duration should be individualized and personal risk factors such as “the risk of venous thromboembolism, stroke, ischemic heart disease and breast cancer should guide use of HRT…you may not be a candidate if you have any of these risk factors.

Many symptomatic women are now staying on hormone therapy longer if they are low risk.

Quality of life is everything. Menopause and its disruptive symptoms can be manageable. The benefits of hormone replacement therapy often outweigh the risks when it comes to your quality of life.