Benefits Of Estrogen Replacement Therapy

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Hormone Replacement Therapy For Menopause

The 10 Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy – HealthTexas on SA Live

Menopause occurs when a woman’s reproductive hormones naturally decline, and she no longer menstruates, which may result in undesirable or uncomfortable symptoms. Fortunately, hormone replacement treatment has been clinically proven to help decrease these symptoms, allowing you to navigate menopause with ease.

Risks Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Many medical experts agree that hormone replacement therapy is an option worth considering for healthy adults under 60 seeking to manage certain menopausal symptoms. But it’s important to point out that research has highlighted several potentially serious risks of using HRT.

In particular, research that began in 2002 raised significant concerns, including that some participants on HRT had a higher risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke, blood clots, urinary incontinence, gallbladder disease, and dementia. The affected participants were mostly over the age of 60 and past the menopausal stage.

Since then, researchers have continued to analyze these findings as they explore the long-term safety of HRT. Experts have clarified that the potential risks may be more likely in people who:

Begin HRT at age 60 or older
Begin HRT more than 10 years after the start of menopause
Have a personal or family history of conditions like cancer and heart disease

Anyone with these risk factors will not be considered a candidate for hormone replacement therapy.

To help avoid further risks in people who are prescribed HRT, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends using HRT at the lowest working dose for the shortest period of time possible, which is typically no longer than five years.

What Are The Short

Many women look to hormone replacement therapy to reduce the common symptoms of menopause hot flashes and night sweats. These effects are sometimes debilitating in nature, interfering with a womans quality of life. The short-term benefits of estrogen replacement therapy can help make them bearable, if not eliminate them completely.

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Benefits Of Estrogen Replacement

Estrogen is a hormone produced by women for their sexual and reproductive development. It is referred to as a female sex hormone and is one of two important sex hormones women have in their bodies. Estrogen production begins to wane when a woman reaches the age of 40, and there is a great reduction of estrogen production after menopause.

It may be a natural part of aging, but decreased levels of estrogen can have severe effects on a woman. Symptoms can range from skin and vaginal dryness, excessive sweating, mood swings, and memory problems to loss of bone density and a rise in cholesterol levels. These symptoms are not just uncomfortable but can affect a womans overall health. To treat estrogen deficiency, doctors often recommend estrogen replacement therapy.

Lets talk about the benefits of estrogen replacement.

What Is Estrogen Replacement Therapy

What Are The Benefits Of Estrogen Therapy

Estrogen is a hormone that the body usually creates itself, helping to develop and maintain the reproductive system, as well as typically-female characteristics like breasts and pubic hair. This hormone is depleted during the menopause, which is why estrogen replacement therapy is often used as a treatment option.

This is therapy which replaces the depleted estrogen hormone during menopause and is used to treat menopausal symptoms, says Welsh.

Is Hrt The Same As Birth Control

No. Although women who take birth control pills are also taking estrogen and progestin, the effect is not the same. Women who take birth control pills have not been through menopause and need higher levels of hormones to prevent ovulation. HRT is not a high enough strength to stop ovulation.

After menopause, estrogen levels are low and HRT is used at a low dose to restore hormone levels to a more normal level.

Tissue Selective Estrogen Complex

TSECs pairs a selective estrogen-receptor modulator with estrogen. The FDA approved medication marketed as DuaVee combines 20 mg bazedoxifene, a selective estrogen-receptor modulator, with 0.45 mg oCEE for use in postmenopausal women with a uterus. It is used for moderate to severe VMS and for prevention of osteoporosis. Compared to placebo, TSEC had a similar profile in that it did not increase breast tenderness, breast density, or endometrial thickness avoiding these conditions may be indications to use this therapy over other formulations. Amenorrhea occurs in more than 83% of users . It has not been studied regarding its ability to provide breast cancer risk reduction.

May Have A Protective Effect On The Brain

Data from the KEEPs study showed that transdermal estrogen improves sleep and cognition in younger postmenopausal women. In the study, women receiving transdermal estradiol performed better on memory tests than women receiving oral estrogen or placebo. They also experienced less cortical atrophy and were less likely to show amyloid on brain imaging .

If these benefits sound good to you, why not consider an estrogen patch for your menopausal hormone therapy? At Winona, we routinely prescribe estrogen patches and have seen great results!

Who Can Benefit From Estrogen Treatment

Estrogen Study Lead Researcher on Risks, Benefits of Hormone-Replacement Therapy

Estrogen is a hormone thats naturally produced by your body. Its found in both people assigned male at birth and people assigned female at birth. Estrogen plays an important role in managing your reproductive system, but it also protects your bones and helps your skin heal from bruises and injury.

Sometimes, your body doesnt make enough estrogen. This can happen for various reasons. For example, in people assigned female at birth, estrogen production slows down as they get older. Some conditions can also affect your estrogen levels.

If your estrogen levels are low, a doctor or healthcare professional may prescribe hormone therapy to help replace your estrogen levels and ease symptoms.

According to a

vulvar atrophy, a condition that causes dryness, soreness, and urinary incontinence
atrophic vaginitis, or inflammation of vaginal tissues thats frequently caused by dryness and irritation

Estrogen may be able to help treat these conditions.

Your ovaries are responsible for producing estrogen. If they fail to produce the hormone or if theyre affected by any other condition, hormone therapy may be necessary.

These conditions may require supplemental estrogen:

female hypogonadism, or decreased function of your ovaries
failure of both of your ovaries
an oophorectomy, or the removal of both of your ovaries

may help decrease bone loss after menopause. However, new medications are better able to stop and reverse bone loss, so most doctors rely on those now.

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Article Content 3 Mins Read

What is an Estrogen Patch?
Benefits of an Estrogen Patch
1. Easy medication delivery
3. Avoiding the GI tract
4. Lower doses = lower risk
5. Reduces the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis
6. May have a protective effect on the brain

Menopausal hormone therapy comes in various forms. Hormones can be delivered to your body via the vaginal route or in the form of a pill, cream, or patch.

When Do Menopause Symptoms Start And How Long Do They Last

Youve entered menopause when you havent had a period for 12 months in a row.

That moment ordinarily arrives between the ages of 48 and 55, generally after a transition with inconsistent bleeding.

Up to 80 percent of women experience hot flashes, technically called vasomotor symptoms.

Heat rises in the chest, face, and head, followed by flushing, perspiration, and sometimes chills. At night, you might find yourself waking up drenched with sweat.

Those sleep interruptions make fatigue the primary symptom of menopause around the world, Robin Phillips, a New York gynecologist and editor of The Menopause Bible: The Complete Practical Guide to Managing Your Menopause, told Healthline.

Doctors previously thought that vasomotor symptoms lasted from six months to two years, but they can last much longer. Half of all women who experience frequent hot flashes live with them for more than seven years, according to another major study .

If your first hot flashes come while youre still bleeding, the median is nearly 12 years.

African American women and women with more depression or anxiety also tend to endure symptoms longer.

We had women coming for help with menopause in their 60s, 70s, and 80s, David said. So we looked into the data.

The Mayo team found that more than 40 percent of women age 60 and up reported moderate or severe symptoms.

However, David pointed out that 60-plus women who were taking hormones had no hot flashes or night sweats.

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Benefits Of Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

As discussed previously, people gain numerous benefits when they undergo replacement hormone therapy. It is important to mention that people are different, and treatment affects people on an individual level. The success or failure of the procedure depends on a persons health status, age, habits, and overall life quality. This is why it is crucial to create an individual treatment plan for every patient, to be able to maximize the benefits of BHRT.

That said, below you can find a list of benefits that hormone replacement therapy brings, so you can calculate both pros and cons of the treatment prior to making a decision:

Improved sleeping patterns
A rise in the levels of good cholesterol
Maintaining a healthy weight
Risk reduction for different types of cancer
Alleviation of anxiety and depression
Increase in the elasticity of blood vessels
Improved symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and mood changes
Improved vaginal and skin dryness

Most of the abovementioned benefits have been tested and proven accurate, but some still need to be researched and confirmed as viable.

What Is Natural Hormone Replacement Therapy

Unlike traditional hormone therapy, which uses lab-created synthetic hormones, natural hormone therapy, also known as bioidentical hormone therapy, uses plant-derived hormones. These hormones are then altered in a lab to have the same molecular structure as the hormones your body used to produce before menopause.

The decision to go on hormone therapy and which type, traditional or natural, is a personal one and should be made after talking to your health care provider. Contact us today to schedule an appointment to talk with a knowledgeable provider about your options.

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Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy 101

There are around 50 hormones produced by our body, apart from estrogen and progesterone, which are the most prominent when we speak about our reproductive health. When an imbalance occurs with any of the mentioned hormones, it affects our whole system, including our mental, emotional, and physical well-being.

Different periods we endure during our lifetime, from daily stresses to pregnancies or menopause, can affect the balance of hormones and cause disruptions and various health problems. When problems occur, doctors usually recommend hormone restoration, which can also include hormone supplementation.

Many people report feeling much more stable after hormone replacement therapy, and doctors state that this also lowers the risks of health issues such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, and bone fractures.

Experts say that there is a significant difference in the effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy when it comes to the type of hormones people take and whether they are bioidentical hormones or synthetic ones. Doctors believe that bioidentical hormones are safer and more effective than the other types offered. Below, we are bringing some additional information that might be useful for anyone starting HRT with bioidentical hormones.

Does Having Or Not Having A Uterus Make A Difference In Deciding What Type Of Hormone Therapy I Should Take

Yes, it does.

If you still have your uterus:

Progesterone is used along with estrogen. Taking estrogen without progesterone increases your risk for cancer of the endometrium . During your reproductive years, cells from your endometrium are shed during menstruation. When the endometrium is no longer shed, estrogen can cause an overgrowth of cells in your uterus, a condition that can lead to cancer.

Progesterone reduces the risk of endometrial cancer by making the endometrium thin. If you take progesterone, you may have monthly bleeding, or no bleeding at all, depending on how the hormone therapy is taken. Monthly bleeding can be lessened and, in some cases, eliminated by taking progesterone and estrogen together continuously.

If you no longer have your uterus :

You typically won’t need to take progesterone. This is an important point because estrogen taken alone has fewer long-term risks than HT that uses a combination of estrogen and progesterone.

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Types Of Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy is made with either one or two types of hormones:

Estrogen only, which helps reduce night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and urinary discomfort, in addition to bone loss that’s associated with aging, and is recommended for people who have had their uterus removed
Estrogen with added progesterone, which helps protect against the risk of endometrial cancer in people who still have a uterus

Each is available in different formulas and dosages.

The Ocular Benefits Of Estrogen Replacement Therapy: A Population

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – Benefits and Dangers

Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Affiliation Department of Biostatistics, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Affiliation Department of Biostatistics, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea
Affiliation Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea

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Estrogen Replacement Therapy In Denton And Frisco Texas

If you are interested in estrogen replacement therapy to manage symptoms of menopause, our team of health care specialists welcomes you to DFW Anti-Aging and Wellness Centers. For patients experiencing life-altering symptoms brought on by a decrease in estrogen levels, we offer bioidentical hormone therapy.

It is important to us that the benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to recommending treatment, so we will thoroughly discuss your health and goals before recommending any treatment. Moreover, we take a holistic approach and create a comprehensive plan to improve your quality of life.

To find out if you are a good candidate for bioidentical hormone therapy, call DFW Anti-Aging and Wellness Centers at 389-5251 to schedule a consultation or request an appointment now.

Whats Been Approved By The Food And Drug Administration

The FDA approves all estrogen therapy medications. Some hormones are sold as bio-identical hormones and arent FDA approved.

Theyre available without a prescription, and theyre not held to the same safety standards as prescription medications. Despite marketing claims, these hormones are also not more natural than the FDA-approved treatments.

Should You Take Estrogen

Your doctor can help guide you to the right answer. Blood tests can confirm if your estrogen levels are low, but you arent considered in menopause until you havent had a menstrual cycle for one whole year.

During this time, you may experience:

Vaginal dryness.

Your doctor may prescribe hormone replacement therapy, which helps supplement estrogen. Progesterone, another hormone that aids in the reproductive system, may also be added if you havent had a hysterectomy.

Estrogen can be delivered through oral medication, patches, gel, cream or spray. There are different levels of estrogen you can take, too. Your doctor will work with you to get the dosage right.

While there had been concerns about hormone replacement therapy causing an increased risk of breast cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, research now shows that estrogen can be beneficial if hormone replacement therapy is started sooner rather than later.

If youre experiencing hot flashes and night sweats, there is a theory called timing theory that says you need to start hormone replacement therapy as soon as youre in menopause, says Dr. Kollikonda. At that point, the benefits outweigh the risk.

But if you wait 10 years after menopause to start hormone replacement therapy, the risks of breast cancer, deep vein thrombosis, stroke and cardiovascular disease increase, outweighing the benefits.

What Is Known About Hormone Therapy And The Risk Of Heart Disease

Estrogen and Hormone Replacement Therapy

Scientists continue to learn about the effects of HT on the heart and blood vessels. Many large clinical trials have attempted to answer questions about HT and heart disease. Some have shown positive effects in women who started HT within 10 years of menopause some have shown negative effects when started greater than 10 years of menopause. Some studies have raised more questions about the potential benefits of HT.

Based on the data, the American Heart Association issued a statement for use of HT. They say:

Hormone therapy for the sole purpose of preventing heart disease is not recommended.

Estrogen Replacement Therapy: Are There Any Risks

Almost every form of medication comes with potential risks and estrogen replacement therapy is no different. There have been many research studies into menopause and HRT and its often shown that the benefits of taking HRT can be greater than the risks for lots of women, Welsh says. However, there are risks of HRT and depending on your medical and family history, you may be at a higher risk than others.

Some of the risks include endometrial cancer , breast cancer, blood clots, and strokes, according to Welsh. Its important to talk with your doctor about your individual risk, the benefits versus the risks, and which form of HRT would be best suited to you, she says.

Research from 2019 by the Womens Health Initiative actually found that estrogen-only replacement therapy can lower the risk of breast cancer, while combination hormone therapy increases the risk.

Menopause Does Not Mean A Loss Of Control

While menopause does indeed mark a transition, it does not mean loss of control. With the benefits of hormone replacement therapy, equilibrium can happily return to normal. There is much to be gained in the decades that await during and after menopause. Who doesnt want to live longer and age gracefully? But, if we want to live longer we should also try to look and feel good doing it!Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can improve sleep, protect memory and cognitive functions, and even reduce the incidence of breast, uterus, ovarian, cervical, and colon cancers. In combination, these hormones can also reduce hot flashes, night sweats, and many other side effects of menopause.1-5While we cant reverse the aging process, we can slow it down. The benefits of hormone replacement therapy are regarded as a cornerstone of anti-aging efforts.10 Currently, women can expect to live about -½ of their lives in a state of sex-hormone deficiency if they dont take hormone replacements. This deficiency can lead to long-term disease. That is a huge problem!Skin aging, as well as decreased muscle, bone density, sexual desire, and intellectual activity, can lead to mood disorders osteoporosis, cognitive decline, dementia, heart problems, and painful sex. Bio-identical hormones can give you back the many benefits of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Hormone replacement can directly contribute to longevity, and lead to a significant improvement in your quality of life.