IS HRT SAFE?
Somehow this area of health is riddled with debate.
I liken it to if there is the best way to give birth - everyone has an opinion and everyone shares it.
In this space there seems to be a debate on if women should use HRT and
then another debate on if it’s actually safe.
Safe to say, there is a lot of noise in the space right??
Hormone replacement therapy/menopause hormone therapy is where we are replacing some of the hormones (oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone) that are permanently reduced in menopause.
Well first up the menopause guidelines that are used currently are the NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) Guidelines.
Within them it says that
‘the benefits outweigh the risks for the vast majority of women’
Safety is centre to every practitioners heart. Everyone wants to improve your life and not cause any risks to you.
So where did the ‘safety’ debate come from? In 2002 there was a study published that stated HRT would increase women’s risk to heart disease, cancer and stroke. This study was highly publicised in the media however all of the concerns have been taken back.
The study was incredibly flawed in that it chose women who were well after menopause, they already had health conditions, were obese, smokers or both. When they originally published the findings these were not controlled for.
Also the types of HRT that they used in the study are not the same that are used today for the majority of women.
Later studies have been conducted and look for risks and there has even been evidence to show that HRT actually reduces risk to some of these conditions if taken within the first few (10) years of menopause.
EVERY medicine comes with benefits & risks, even everyday ones like Panadol.
EVERY person is different and has their own choice.
HRT is safe for most women
YOU do YOU.
I have put in the NICE guidelines and some studies and a book title below you can read that will help inform you outside the social media world.
Share this with your friends and family who will benefit from it.
Don’t forget to hit up Menopaused Social accounts for daily serves of menopause information.
#menopause #hormonereplacementtherapy #menopausehormonetherapy #women #midlife #midlifewomen #information #education #support
Book: Oestrogen Matters, Carol Tavris and Dr. Avrum Bluming
Please note that this information is general advice and cannot replace individualised care with your own health care practitioners.