Is hormone replacement therapy necessary?
Making a decision about HRT is one of the most important health decisions a woman will make in her lifetime. Every woman experiences menopause differently and her treatment should be tailored to treat her specific symptoms. The major benefit of HRT is to treat the hot flashes and other immediate symptoms of menopause. There is a general consensus among researchers that short-term HRT to relieve hot flashes and other temporary menopause-related symptoms is safe, with the benefits during this short time period (up to five years) outweighing the risks. Recent research has found a small risk of increased health risks, including heart attack, strokes, blood clots and breast cancer, after long-term usage in women who took estrogen plus progesterone (the drug commonly prescribed as PremPro). Women who have been on the combination HRT for a number of years should talk to their doctor about tapering off the medication and substituting alternative strategies to deal with menopausal symptoms.
