If you're younger than 45, you need enough estrogen to protect against the long-term health effects of low estrogen levels. Overall, however, research clearly shows that hormone therapy is safe for most women who start it about 10 years after their last menstrual period, Howell says. For these women, there are actually more benefits than risks, especially during the first 5 years of treatment. A careful analysis of the WHI and other data shows that estrogen actually protects women under 60 from heart disease and osteoporosis, she says.
If you want to continue taking HRT or start taking it after age 60, your GP may recommend taking a low dose and using patches or gel instead of tablets to reduce your risk. So can hormone replacement therapy be started sooner? And is there an upper age limit for starting hormone replacement therapy or a fixed limit on how long you can take it? Talk to your provider about the risks and benefits and whether hormone therapy is an option for you based on your health history, age and other factors. If you have a premature menopause (before age 40) or an early menopause (before age 4), it's especially important to take the HRT or combination pill. However, there have been conflicting messages about the risks of hormone replacement therapy since the early 2000s, when the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) suddenly stopped research for safety reasons.
Menopause, when it occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, is considered “natural” and is a normal part of aging. With the right form and dosage, hormone replacement therapy can keep your hormone levels optimal and menopausal symptoms at bay in the long term. No matter when it occurs, the decline in the levels of sex hormones that drive and define the menopausal process often causes countless irritating symptoms, which can vary in severity and duration from one woman to the next. As you age, and especially after age 60, the risks of HRT may begin to outweigh the benefits.
People who reach menopause before age 40 should be offered hormone replacement therapy, except on rare occasions (such as having a personal history of breast cancer at a young age). This is because taking estrogen in old age is associated with a higher risk of breast cancer and blood clots, among other problems. It's well established that hormonal hormone therapy can significantly improve the risk of osteoporosis, an important health factor for women, as they age. There was even some evidence that HRT may be linked to a lower risk of age-related diseases, such as heart disease and dementia.
Finally, in the last two years alone, an explosion of media coverage has begun to change public opinion and return to the inclination towards hormones. In some situations, blood tests can be misleading because a lot of hormonal fluctuations occur during the perimenopause stage.
