Overview:
At menopause, your body stops producing the essential hormone estrogen, causing short-term symptoms such as hot flashes and long-term health risks such as heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis.  Taking estrogen in hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at menopause can alleviate the immediate symptoms. Continuing to take it for the rest of your life can reduce your risk of chronic, debilitating illnesses. When making a decision about whether or not to take HRT, you and your health provider should thoroughly discuss the benefits and risks of HRT for you personally.

Click here for a review of the most common complaints women have during the menopause.

• Symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, night sweats, or vaginal dryness


• Osteoporosis or a family history of the disease or other risk factors


• A high total cholesterol level or low HDL level


• A family history of heart disease


• Gone through menopause or had a hysterectomy that involved removal of your ovaries (your primary source of estrogen)


• A family history of colon cancer

• Had breast cancer


• Had a blood clot in a vein in your legs, lungs, or eyes during pregnancy or while taking birth-control pills


• Active liver disease or severely impaired liver function

    You are probably reading and hearing a great deal about HRT--both pro and con. HRT significantly reduces your long-term risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. The question has been raised about a possible link between HRT and a slightly increased risk of breast cancer.  Most studies find no association between HRT and breast cancer. The average American woman is 10 times more likely to die of heart disease or stroke than breast cancer and many times more likely to develop osteoporosis than breast cancer. When making a decision about taking HRT, you and your doctor will carefully evaluate your risk of heart disease, osteoporosis, and breast cancer.

    If you are not sure about whether or not to take HRT, your doctor may recommend having a test to measure the density of your bones and determine your risk of osteoporosis. If the results of a bone density test show that you are at increased risk of osteoporosis, taking HRT would be beneficial for you.