Is hormone replacement therapy a good idea?
Evidence of serious side effects associated with hormone replacement therapy continues to mount, so this is a question you should review carefully with your doctor. As the name implies, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replaces some of the estrogen (and usually the progesterone) that your body stops producing after menopause. Not only do low estrogen levels produce the symptoms of menopause, but, more importantly, they increase your risk of heart disease and osteoporosis (the “brittle bone” disease). Taking estrogen, either in a pill or through a skin patch, can relieve symptoms and strengthen your bones, reducing your risk of fractures. Some early studies suggested that HRT might prevent heart disease, but the most recent evidence suggests the opposite may be true. In a clinical trial sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) involving over 16,000 women, HRT was found to increase the rate of coronary heart disease by 29 percent. In fact the study, which was to
