Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits & Risks

Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy

There are several benefits of hormone replacement treatment for your health. These top five advantages are as follows:

    1. Increases bone health

When you reach menopause, osteoporosis poses a serious concern. Your bone health depends on the hormone estrogen. You can prevent osteoporosis by maintaining bone density with hormone replacement treatment.

    2. Reduces the symptoms of menopause

The symptoms of menopause are hot flashes, nocturnal sweats, and trouble sleeping. Your routine activities are hampered by these symptoms, which range from moderate to severe. Many of the unpleasant symptoms of menopause are finally eliminated when you receive hormone replacement treatment because your levels of estrogen and progesterone are controlled.

    3. Boosts sex desire

Both males and females undergo a significant reduction in their sexual drive as they get older. Nevertheless, women also encounter vaginal dryness due to menopause, which diminishes the attractiveness of sexual activity. Hormone replacement therapy helps to bring back your reproductive hormone levels, enhancing vaginal dryness and revitalizing your sexual urge.

    4. Improves your mood

Your hormones play a crucial role in regulating various bodily functions, including your emotional state. The decline in estrogen and progesterone that accompanies aging can lead to feelings of sadness or mood changes. You may achieve hormonal equilibrium in your body by using hormone replacement therapy. This might considerably elevate your mood and lessen depression's symptoms.   

    5. Assists in weight management

The stages leading to menopause can result in notable fluctuations in weight. While it's a natural part of aging, it does complicate the efforts to lose weight significantly. Hormone replacement therapy addresses the hormonal factors contributing to weight gain, although it's not a magical solution for weight loss. Managing or shedding weight becomes notably more challenging when hormones are involved. Hormone replacement therapy might offer the potential to facilitate weight loss and establish a more consistent exercise routine, ultimately benefiting your overall health.

Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Studies have shown that using an estrogen-progestin tablet as part of hormone replacement treatment increases the chance of developing a number of significant illnesses, such as:

• Heart condition
• Stroke
• Clots of blood
• Mammary cancer

According to subsequent studies, these risks can differ based on:

• Age. The risk of the aforementioned diseases is higher in women who start hormone treatment at age 60 or older or more than 10 years after the onset of menopause. However, the advantages seem to exceed the hazards if hormone treatment is started before the age of 60 or within 10 years following menopause.
• Hormone treatment type. The hazards of hormone treatment change based on the estrogen dose and type, whether it is administered alone or in combination with progestin, and other factors.
• Health background. If hormone replacement treatment is right for you, it will depend on your particular medical history, family history, and risk factors for cancer, heart disease, stroke, blood clots, liver disease, and osteoporosis.

You and your doctor should think about each of these concerns before choosing if hormone treatment is a viable choice for you.

In general, hormone treatment (HT) is not advised if you:

• have or had endometrial or breast cancer
• experience unusual vaginal bleeding
• are at high risk for blood clots or have had one
• having a higher risk of vascular disease due to a history of a heart attack, stroke, or both
• are pregnant
• have a liver condition