HRT: The Evidence
· There is no current way to prevent or reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia—except estrogen.
· HRT is the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, vaginal dryness, and loss of sexual desire—symptoms that can last an average of seven years. Yet many women do not realize that heart palpitations, joint and muscle aches, headaches, bladder problems, and depression are also often symptoms of menopause, which HRT can alleviate.
· There is no evidence to support the current medical advice to take HRT at the lowest dose for the shortest period of time.
· Seven times as many women die of heart disease as die of breast cancer annually. In fact, heart disease, not cancer, is the leading cause of death among breast cancer survivors, and HRT can decrease that risk by 30 to 50 percent.
· Women taking HRT live, on average, several years longer than those not taking it.
· As many women die annually following osteoporotic hip fracture as die of breast cancer, and HRT can cut this risk in half.
· Most studies have found that estrogen does not increase the risk of breast cancer, and it can often be given safely even to women who have had breast cancer.
· Taking hormones in menopause does not cause weight gain, a common bodily change in midlife. On the contrary, women on HRT tend to lose weight.