Hormone replacement therapy is a medical technique designed to treat women undergoing menopause to reduce the frequency and severity of many common symptoms associated with it. These symptoms include heat flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness and discomfort, and even urinary problems. The treatment usually consists of a combination of hormone supplements and changes in diet. These are designed to ease the drop in the levels of hormones like estrogen in the female body.

Menopause is the decrease in the ovaries’ production of certain hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone. This decrease affects the body by ceasing the menstruation cycle, and therefore also ceasing fertility. It has been associated with several other physical symptoms that cause general discomfort. Hormone replacement therapy was therefore created to ease these symptoms and maintain in some cases the body’s ability to give birth. It has also been shown to boost signs of vitality and decrease those of aging, although there are some health risks that have been attributed to the therapy.

Hormone replacement therapy

In 2002, a study was conducted that linked hormone replacement therapy with health risks such as heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, and blood clots. These numbers, however, are fairly low, with roughly eight women out of ten thousand suffering from each (eighteen from blood clots). While individual risk is obviously quite small, there were enough cases that reported these concerns that global awareness about them became something of an issue. Now, many women have discontinued the use of the treatment, often without speaking to their doctors. Women taking only estrogen for hormone replacement reported no incidences of breast cancer or heart disease, but still showed an increased risk of stroke or blood clots.

It can be hard to weigh the pros and cons of hormone replacement therapy in an unbiased fashion, and the risk to any individual woman is ultimately determined by factors other than the number shown here. Regardless of statistics, hormone replacement should be a well thought out decision with a solid backing before a choice is made, as there can be any number of factors that determine the amount of risk. Hormone therapy can be a real blessing, but it should only be undertaken if the conceived risk proves to be relatively low.