Guidelines from the National Institute For Health and Care Excellence (NICE) offer a unique perspective of diagnosis and management of menopause, designed to help women stop suffering in silence.
The safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) depends largely on the age of the patient. For most women the risks are few and the POTENTIAL BENEFITS ARE MANY when HRT is given for clear indications and therapy is initiated within a few years of menopause.
Here are a few key statements on hormone therapy:
Combined HRT may be associated with 5 additional breast cancer instances per 1,000 women greater than age 50 after 7.5 years of use. Overall mortality is not increased. There is in fact, a GREATLY DECREASED RISK ASSOCIATED WITH ESTROGEN ALONE. Risk returns to baseline after stopping HRT, suggesting HRT acts as a PROMOTOR rather than an INITIATOR.
CVD (Cardiovascular Disease) risk is not increased when starting therapy in women less than age 60.
DVT/PE (Deep Vein Thrombosis/Pulmonry Embolism) background risk with oral estrogens, which is 1.7 per 1,000 women greater than age 50 after 7.5 years of use by women greater than age 50. Greater risk is in the first 12 months of use. RISK WITH TRANSDERMAL ESTROGEN IS NO GREATER THAN GENERAL POPULATION RISK.
For the full article see: Contemporary OB/GYN September 2017 Issue