Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (2024)

FAQs

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)? ›

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to relieve symptoms of the menopause. It replaces the female hormones that are at a lower level as you experience the menopause. Oestrogen and progesterone are female hormones that play important roles in a woman's body.

Long-running studies

Over the last 15 years, these studies, and others, have found little or no evidence that HRT reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, they have found evidence for an increased risk of blood clots and stroke. They also found an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer in women using HRT.

There are different types of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) available. They can: contain different hormones – oestrogen, progestogen or both (a specialist doctor may also sometimes prescribe testosterone) be taken or used in different ways – tablets, patches, gel, spray or vagin*l rings, pessaries or cream.

The main benefit of HRT is that it's effective at relieving most perimenopause and menopause symptoms, such as: hot flushes. night sweats. sleep problems caused by menopause.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) helps treat symptoms of menopause like vagin*l dryness and hot flashes. Your age, family medical history, personal medical history and severity of your symptoms are factors that may affect your decision to take hormone therapy.

have problems with your blood which increases the likelihood of developing a blood clot (thrombosis) have ever had liver disease and your liver function tests are not back to normal. have or recently had a condition caused by blood clots in the arteries, such as a heart attack, stroke or angina.

If you experience only vagin*l symptoms related to menopause, estrogen in a low-dose vagin*l cream, tablet or ring is usually a better choice than an oral pill or a skin patch. Minimize the amount of medication you take. Use the lowest effective dose for the shortest amount of time needed to treat your symptoms.

Weight gain and HRT

There's little evidence that most types of HRT make you put on weight. You may gain some weight during the menopause and as you get older, but this often happens whether you take HRT or not. Exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet should help you to manage your weight.

HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself. In very real ways, using HRT to address symptoms of hormonal change can help you feel younger.

Does HRT make you feel happier? ›

Many women find that they feel calmer, have more energy, are more motivated and generally much happier when they take HRT. Some women also need to take the hormone testosterone which is usually given as a gel but can also be given as an implant.

In conclusion, while HRT offers tangible benefits for managing physical symptoms of menopause, psychotherapeutic interventions play a vital role in addressing the emotional, psychological, and existential aspects of this life transition.

Some women may stay on hormones for two or three years, while others will need five to seven years, or maybe longer. The goal is to be on the lowest dose that will treat and manage your symptoms in such a way that the benefits outweigh the risks.

Prices can range from $10 a month for a 90-day supply of generic estrogen tablets to more than $500 for a 90-day vagin*l ring. Most insurance plans cover some form of estradiol, the most common form of HRT. However, your HRT prescription may have high out-of-pocket costs even if you have insurance.

Many women actually find that they lose weight by using HRT as it shifts the metabolism back into a pre-menopausal metabolic state. Progesterone can sometimes cause fluid retention which can mimic weight gain, but there are alterations that can be made to the regime to minimise this impact.

If you are healthy, most experts agree that HRT is safe to use at the lowest dose that helps for the shortest time needed. If you're 59 or older, or have been on hormones for 5 years, you should talk to your doctor about quitting.

In addition to increasing longevity, hormone replacement therapy can help to address many of the changes we experience as we grow older. Estrogen therapy is associated with healthier and younger-looking skin in women.

Plant-derived estrogens (phytoestrogens) — Plant-derived estrogens have been marketed as a "natural" or "safer" alternative to hormones for relieving menopausal symptoms. Phytoestrogens are found in many foods, including soybeans, chickpeas, lentils, flaxseed, lentils, grains, fruits, vegetables, and red clover.

By the age of 60, arteries are generally stiffer and women at this age are more at risk of cardiovascular disease, hence commencing hormone therapy may increase their risk of cardiovascular disease or events. High blood pressure would increase this risk as well.