What Are The Benefits & Risks of Hormone Therapy

The Women’s Health Initiative hormone study in 2002, involving over 16,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 being treated with estrogen and progestin, was stopped 3 years early due to the early findings which showed statistically significant increases in the following:

• Coronary disease
• Invasive breast cancer
• Stroke
• Pulmonary embolism
• Blood clots

Many doctors and researchers, though, claim that the study was flawed and greatly exaggerated. The study also failed to consider age grouping risk differences.

A later study based on age grouping (50 to 59, 60 to 69, and 70+) showed that women between 50 and 59 who received hormone therapy had no increase in their risk for breast cancer, blood clots, strokes, heart attacks or gallbladder disease.

The problem was that women, who were hormone deficient for a long period of time before being treated, were much more susceptible to an increased risk of health concerns. It became apparent that women, who are treated for hormone deficiency early on, were much less likely to experience any health problems due to the treatment.

The benefits of hormone replacement therapy include:

• Increased alertness
• Reduced risk of colon cancer
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis
• Reduced risk of dementia and memory loss

Hormone therapy is commonly used to treat women in menopause for the following symptoms:

• Vaginal dryness and urethritis
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Diminished sex drive

The Benefits Outweighing the Risks

Hormone therapy isn’t for everyone, and women who are considering hormone replacement therapy should consult a specialist. Although you may be hormone deficient, it doesn’t necessarily mean that hormone therapy is right for you. For most women, hormone therapy is still very beneficial, while others could suffer from increased risks of health concerns which outweigh the benefits. Women, who have suffered from breast cancer or blood clots in the past, shouldn’t take hormone therapy.

The benefits of hormone replacement therapy may greatly outweigh the risks, especially if you are a younger woman under the age of 65. Hormone production slows down at the age of 30 and one can become hormone deficient by the age of 40 or possibly even younger. The longer you are hormone deficient, the higher the increase of risks involved with hormone therapy, therefore it’s important to keep a healthy balance of hormones before suffering from hormone deficiency.

To speak with a hormone therapy specialist in Scottsdale, Arizona, contact Scottsdale Health Center Today.

Also Related: Benefits of Hormone Therapy

Also Related: Side Effects of Hormone Therapy