Hormone Therapy - Is it Right for You?

Hormone therapy: Is it right for you?

Comment by Raewyn Hamilton

An recent article by Mayo Clinic staff delves into the results of clinical trials conducted to determine the long term affects of hormone therapy on women's health.

The article states: 'Until 2002, hormone therapy was routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect long-term health. Then a large clinical trial unearthed its health risks. What does this mean to you?"

Hormone replacement therapy — medications containing female hormones to replace the ones the body no longer makes after menopause — used to be a standard treatment for women with hot flashes and other menopause symptoms. Hormone therapy (as it's now called) was also thought to have the long-term benefits of preventing heart disease and osteoporosis.

Attitudes about hormone therapy changed abruptly in 2002, when a large clinical trial found that the treatment actually posed more health risks than benefits for postmenopausal women.'

The rest of the article is seriously worth reading as it determined that hormone therapy increased the risk of certain serious conditions.  The entire article  may be printed out for your own use.  We cannot reproduce here without full permission. The link to the full article is: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hormone-therapy/WO00046

A further study by the World Health Initiative, reported in Health goes strong,  found hormone therapy can increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer and blood clots.  Barbara Kantrowitz on October 13, 2010 further reported  that, 'The WHI results were first released in 2002 and since then scientists have been going over the data looking for more evidence of risks and benefits. In the latest study, reported in the Oct. 11 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, scientists found that take hormone therapy can increase the chances that a woman will suffer from kidney stones.'

Clearly, as women we have the obligation to do our own research on what medication suits our own physiology and particular medical conditions.  I was always sceptical about the benefits of synthetic replacement hormone therapy after reading a brilliant book called 'Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom', by  Dr Christiane Northrup and determined I would not use HRT when I was going through menopause in the early 2000's. Then when the 2002 study was released I felt entirely vindicated.  Mind you, I didn't exactly go without.  I found a doctor who was able to source natural progesterone and used the proprietry line called 'Remifenin, containing Black Cohosh which I found to be excellent.

Now I employ the services of a wonderful naturopath, Birgit Spahn who conducts hormone tests to determine any hormone imbalances which are then supplemented with bio-identical hormones.  Works for me!!

What about you?  Love to hear individual comments: