Recognizing Hormone Replacement Therapy Pros and Cons
A good number of menopausal women today are in a dilemma whether or not to take estrogen replacement therapy. On the one hand, there is no doubt that hormone replacement therapy can alleviate certain health problems, but it can also aggravate the risk factors for other medical conditions. For this reason, it is critical that you first weigh the hormone replacement therapy pros and cons before deciding to take it or scrapping it altogether. Here they are:
Hormone Replacement Therapy Pros
Hormone replacement therapy offers three main benefits: (1) minimizes bone loss that can complicate to osteoporosis; (2) alleviates menopausal symptoms; (3) reduces risk of future disease (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer).
Osteoporosis is a condition that can endanger the well-being of a woman. Since the bones of a woman with osteoporosis becomes brittle, she can easily suffer from fractures if she accidentally falls. Some women suffering from this condition experience pain. On top of this, other women may also suffer hot flashes, sleep problems, mood changes and other menopausal symptoms.
Without question, HRT was proven to relieve these as well as lowering the risks for colon cancer and macular degeneration, which is vision loss caused by the deterioration of the part of the retina at the back of the eye that provides sharp central vision, called the macula. They would welcome the relief that HRT provides for their condition, if not for the side effects. This we will look into next.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Cons
Research have revealed that hormone replacement therapy can increase several risk factors, disenchanting menopausal women from further taking it. The risk factors that HRT has been found to raise are stroke, gallbladder disease, larger more invasive breast cancers (for combination HRT) blood clots, and hypertension. However, it is important to point out that studies that showed these risks involved non-bioidentical hormones.
Weighing Hormone Replacement Therapy Pros and Cons
The appropriateness of taking hormone replacement therapy varies from one woman to another as they also differ in health conditions. Have a lengthy discussion with a physician who specializes in hormone replacement. Maintaining hormone balance during menopause will address elevated cholesterol level, low bone density, sleep problems, and mood swings perhaps limiting the need to take a medication for each of those specific disorders.
It is best to make the decision of whether or not to take HRT with the guidance of a health care provider. Run through with your doctor the hormone replacement therapy pros and cons. Only when the benefits far outweigh the risks should you opt to take estrogen replacement.
See related articles.
“Replacement Hormone Therapy at a Glance”
“Alternative Hormone Replacement Therapy”
“Getting the Most Out of Thyroid Hormone Replacement Therapy”
