What is hormone replacement therapy?

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Hormone replacement therapy

During menopause, your ovaries decrease production of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone. This decline in hormones puts a permanent end to menstruation and fertility, but it can also cause hot flashes, mood swings, vaginal dryness and urinary problems. The solution For decades, doctors routinely eased these symptoms with hormone replacement therapy medications containing female hormones to replace the ones the body is no longer making. And it was widely believed that boosting estrogen levels after menopause could also ward off heart disease and osteoporosis, while improving quality of life and keeping women young.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It is a normal part of aging. In the years before and during menopause, the levels of female hormones can go up and down. This can cause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Some women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve these symptoms. HRT may also protect against osteoporosis. However, HRT also has risks. It can increase your risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. Certain types of HRT have a higher risk, and each woman's own risks can vary depending upon her health history and lifestyle. You and your health care provider need to discuss the risks and benefits for you. If you do decide to take HRT, it should be the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed. Taking hormones should be re-evaluated every six months.

HRT

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to replace hormones that your body is no longer producing because of the menopause. The hormones that need replacing are oestrogen and progesterone.

Hormone Replacement and Osteoporosis

Hormones are produced by glands in our bodies. They are chemicals that have specific effects on different parts of our bodies. For example, the ovaries produce estrogen that enters the bloodstream and has effects on the uterus. As we age, our bodies start to produce smaller amounts of hormones, particularly reproductive hormones such as estrogen and progesterone in women and testosterone in men. Eventually, production of reproductive hormones declines, and in women, the decline results in menopause, when menstruation stops. In women, bone loss occurs rapidly in the perimenopausal years. Bone loss can eventually lead to osteoporosis (or porous bones). Without prevention or treatment, osteoporosis can progress without pain or symptoms until a bone breaks (fractures). Fractures commonly occur in the hip, spine, and wrist. Osteoporosis is the underlying cause of more than 1.5 million fractures annually (300,000 hip fractures, approximately 700,000 vertebral fractures, 250,000 wrist fractures, and more than 300,000 fractures in other areas). The estimated national cost (hospitals and nursing homes) for osteoporosis and related injuries is $14 billion each year in the United States. Osteoporosis is a major public health threat for 44 million Americans, 68% of whom are women. In the United States today, 10 million people already have osteoporosis and 34 million more have low bone mass (weak or thin bones), these people are at increased risk for fractures and osteoporosis. Half of women and a quarter of men older than 50 years will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetime.

Natural Progesterone

Natural Progesterone is a hormone that is found naturally in the human body. It is taken for hormone replacement in women during menopause, female infertility (difficulty getting pregnant), and menstrual (monthly period) problems.

Hormone replacement therapy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hormone replacement therapy. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Jump to: navigation, search. Hormone replacement therapy may refer to: ...

Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy: Types, Effects, and More

WebMD looks at the role of hormone replacement therapy in treating menopause symptoms.

Hormone Replacement Therapy -- familydoctor.org

Information for women about using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to treat the symptoms of menopause.

Hormone Replacement Therapy - HRT - Estrogen - Progestins ...

Hormone replacement therapy information includes traditional, and alternative HRT. Covers natural hormones, estrogen replacement therapy, ...

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) | Breast Health Resource Center ...

The dryness of tissue surrounding the vagina and urethra may cause pain during sexual intercourse or urination, and HRT helps to relieve these and other ...