What does hormone replacement have to do with osteoporosis?
As a woman transitions into menopause, the point at which menstrual periods cease, the ovaries greatly decrease the amount of estrogen produced. At menopause, women face an increasing number of health risks related to estrogen loss, including osteoporosis. Many of these risks can be lowered by estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), which involves replacing the natural estrogen the body no longer makes. In addition to reducing a woman s risk for osteoporosis, there is evidence that estrogen replacement reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women with no previous history of heart disease and may help delay the onset of Alzheimer s disease. Estrogen may also reduce the risk of colon cancer and age-related macular degeneration. ERT may not be appropriate for everyone. It is not generally recommended for women with a history of breast or endometrial cancer, a history of blood clots to the lungs or active liver disease. There is also some indication that estrogen replacem
