Based on the results of the study, the researchers concluded that compared to never using or discontinuing hormone therapy before age 65, the use of estrogen monotherapy after age 65 was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of mortality, breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal and congestive cancer. There are also many non-hormonal prescription medications that can help control hot flashes. Hormone therapy (HT) may be safe for women over 65, according to a recent study published in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society. Hormone replacement therapy improves the quality of life and extends the lives of many older women, whether they start menopause or much later.
Hormone replacement therapy counseling should be provided to all postmenopausal women. Patients should be warned that estrogen will reduce the chances of death and disability due to cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. Those who have low bone density or are at risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as smoking and high blood pressure, will benefit more than those who don't. Older age may predispose women to the carcinogenic potential of estrogen.
However, this must be placed in a statistical perspective for the patient, since the benefits of estrogen clearly outweigh the risks. In evaluating her personal history and attitudes, the doctor must help the patient decide if the potential benefit outweighs the risk or inconvenience of side effects. While the available data reveal the general advantages of estrogen replacement, there is a need to further study the optimal dose, the type of estrogen, the time of initiation and the duration of treatment in the geriatric population.
Hormone replacement therapy
is thought to improve the quality of life and extend the life of older women, regardless of whether it started in menopause or later, but it does carry some risks, and many reports state that it is best to start hormone replacement therapy early. Postmenopausal women should receive appropriate guidance and information about hormone replacement therapy, especially the fact that estrogen can reduce the chances of death and disability due to osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases.While combination therapy with estrogen and progesterone was associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, low doses of transdermal or vaginal estrogen plus progestin can be used to reduce the risk. If you want to start hormone therapy, be sure to talk to your doctor first about the benefits and risks, and to consider your medical history, age, personal preferences and risk factors. Hormone replacement therapy is an effective and safe way to treat symptoms, but some people still like to rely on home remedies to ease symptoms. Therefore, hormone therapy must begin before age 60 or within a decade after menopause to prevent blood clots, breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. If you still have a uterus, your healthcare professional will likely prescribe estrogen along with a progestogen, which is a group of drugs similar to progesterone.
In addition, people who start hormone therapy at age 60 or older, or more than a decade after the start of menopause, are at greater risk of suffering from the above conditions. The Cleveland Clinic reported that a study showed that hormone therapy initiated early in postmenopausal women significantly reduced the rate of mortality, heart failure and heart attacks. The benefits of menopausal hormone therapy may outweigh the risks if you start treatment before age 60 or 10 menopausal years. If you're already taking menopausal hormone therapy, check with your healthcare professional regularly to re-evaluate your need for treatment.
Always remember that while some alternative therapies have been backed by research, others have only anecdotal evidence to support them. For most women who use hormone replacement therapy for the short-term treatment of menopausal symptoms, the benefits often outweigh the risks. It is taken to replace the estrogen that the body stops producing after menopause, which is when periods stop producing they definitely stop. But can HRT really be a benefit for older women? Any treatment always has its advantages and disadvantages, but in the case of hormone therapy, it's best to start early so that the benefits outweigh the risks.
The 2002 findings of the Women's Health Initiative show that hormonal hormone therapy may slightly increase the chances of breast cancer, stroke and heart disease in women who went through menopause and took a combination of estrogen and progestogen (a form of progesterone). You should also review the use of hormone therapy on a regular basis with your healthcare professional to ensure that the benefits outweigh the risks.
