Adverse Effects of Hormone Replacement Therapy

For menopausal and post-menopausal women, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) offers many health and comfort benefits. However, some women experience unpleasant and unhealthy effects that far outweigh the good of hormone replacement therapy.

Identification

• Frequently referred to as estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), hormone replacement therapy is a treatment method that involves taking hormone supplements. These supplements are used to replace those that a woman's body is failing to make, or to replace those that a woman's body has stopped making in sufficient quantities. Typically, these supplements contain either just estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progestin, hormones important in regulating reproduction and the menstrual cycle.

Uses

• A doctor may prescribe hormone replacement therapy for dealing with the effects of menopause or post-menopause. For example, it may help women deal with such things as vaginal dryness, hot flashes, difficulty sleeping and night sweats. All of these things can occur as a result of drops in normal hormone levels, and HRT can reduce symptoms. It may also be used in women with health conditions that form because of reduced hormone levels. According to the Mayo Clinic, HRT may even help to prevent heart disease, colorectal cancer and osteoporosis.

Risks

• According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), HRT for post-menopausal women may cause increased risk of developing some diseases and conditions. For example, there is the possibility of an increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease, stroke and blood clots when undergoing hormone replacement therapy. For this reason, the FDA recommends using HRT for only a short amount of time and consuming as low a dose as possible. If you are considering HRT and you are menopausal or post-menopausal, you should also discuss the potential risks versus benefits in your particular case.

Other Conditions

• The risks of adverse health effects may be different for women who are pre-menopausal and suffering from conditions such as premature ovarian failure, a condition in which the ovaries fail before menopause. According to the NIH, the risks of HRT are not the same for these women. This may be because HRT actually provides the hormones the body should normally make in such women rather than extending their production and leading to the increased potential for health issues, as is the case with HRT during and after menopause.

Increased Risks

• There are some women who should avoid HRT because their risks of developing adverse health conditions are greater than those of other women. According to the Mayo Clinic, women with a history of heart disease, blood clots, or cancer of the breast tissue should avoid HRT as a treatment for menopause. For these women, other medications or even lifestyle changes may be better options.