Menopause HRT – Should One Administer It?

Menopause HRT

The menopause Hormone Replacement Therapy hit the mainstream in January of 1964 when an article entitled "No More Menopause," based on the work of New York gynecologist Robert A. Wilson was published in Newyork weekly. Wilson subsequently authored a book titled "Feminine Forever" that touted the virtues of the therapy as a fountain of youth that would prevent women from experiencing the tragedy of menopause, which would leave them dried up, sexless, and depressed.

What is menopause HRT?

Simply put, it is the administration of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen replacement therapy refers to administration of estrogen alone. The hormones are generally given in pill form. They can also be given in the form of skin patches and vaginal creams (just estrogen) to the patients.

The use of this treatment is highly effective for improving the quality of life of women suffering from acute symptoms of menopause, like hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, increased fatigue and irritability, depression, skin changes, vaginal dryness and incontinence. There was significant evidence that the treatment also provides some long-term protection against cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and colon cancer.

Hormone treatment for menopause is however quite controversial. Its long term safety and efficacy still remain matters of great concern. Scientists noted a relationship between the long-term use of the treatment and the increased risk of breast and uterine cancer, though the progesterone component of the treatment is pretty effective at eliminating the excess risk of uterine cancer. Many women who started on the treatment ended up going off it a few months or a few years later because of the side effects.

Is menopausal HRT Safe?

It is unlikely that a woman will be offered the treatment if she had breast cancer. The jury is still out on whether hormone therapy increases a woman's risk for recurrence or a new cancer, but most experts agree to the fact that the risks and unknowns concerning HRT outweigh its benefits at this point. Yet if your symptoms are severe enough to interfere with the quality of your life and no other therapies have been successful, you may still consider being a candidate for MHT.