Discuss hormone therapy, which is used to reduce the physical symptoms of menopause. What are the risks and benefits?

What will be an ideal response?

Answer: Low daily doses of estrogen can reduce the physical discomforts of menopause. Hormone therapy comes in two types: (1) estrogen alone, or estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), for women who have had hysterectomies; and (2) estrogen plus progesterone, or hormone replacement therapy (HRT), for other women. Combining estrogen with progesterone lessens the risk of cancer of the endometrium, which has long been known as a serious side effect of hormone therapy. Hormone therapy is highly successful at counteracting hot flashes and vaginal dryness. It also offers some protection against bone deterioration. Nevertheless, it is associated with an increase in heart attack, stroke, blood clots, breast cancer, gallbladder disease, and deaths from lung cancer. ERT, when compared with HRT, intensifies the risk of blood clots, stroke, and gallbladder disease. And women age 65 and older taking HRT show an elevated risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Women and their doctors should make decisions about hormone therapy carefully. For those who opt to use it, taking the lowest dose possible for the shortest time possible in the early menopausal years minimizes risk. Women with family histories of cardiovascular disease or breast cancer are advised against hormone therapy. Fortunately, the number of alternative treatments is increasing.