Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a controversial topic of debate in the medical profession. It is believed that the research and data tracking the risks and benefits of HRT are not entirely conclusive and many variables play in determining the outcome for each individual. This assignment will define HRT and discuss the benefits and risks associated with this treatment for menopausal women.
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary (2012) defines Hormone Replacement Therapy as “the use of synthetic or natural female hormones to make up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a woman's body” These hormones are predominantly made up of an oestrogen compound to counteract the low hormone levels in menopausal women. This compound provides …show more content…
Menopause is a natural physiological event occurring in women with a median age around 50 years. According to Dr Short (2015), menopause is the termination of menstruation from the loss of ovarian follicular activity. When amenorrhoea occurs for the following twelve consecutive months with no obvious pathological and physiological cause, then it is recognised as a natural menopause. Menopause can cause a woman’s ovaries to stop producing oestrogen (Craparo, 2015) and the loss of oestrogen can cause numerous physiological effects and symptoms in women. Short (2015) identified five categories of symptoms which are vasomotor, urogenital, sexual dysfunction, psychological and others. Hot flushes, which affect up to 80% of women, belong to the category of vasomotor symptoms relating to blood vessels being constricted or dilated. Urogenital symptoms are related to the urinary and genital organs such as vaginal dryness. Sexual …show more content…
The relationship between HRT and breast cancer in menopausal women is very controversial (de Villiers et al., 2013). The incidence of breast cancer in women using combined HRT is more prevalent in lean women with a body mass index less (BMI) than 25 (Hou et al., 2013). The journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), has published results of a recent study of women receiving HRT treatment (Wise, 2013). This study involved 27,000 postmenopausal women aged between 50 and 79. The results from the study revealed that there were 206 cases of breast cancer among women with combined HRT treatment, while there were 155 cases in the placebo group. The Women’s Health Initiative study showed the risk of breast cancer did not increase for women who have had a hysterectomy and are receiving oestrogen-only HRT (Gompel et al., 2008). The use of oestrogen-only HRT increases the risk of endometrial cancer in women who have an intact uterus (Short, 2015). In these cases women should use progestogen with oestrogen to counteract the stimulation of the endometrium (Hickey et al., 2012). Combined HRT does not raise the risk of endometrial cancer providing the correct balance of progesterone is used (Furness et al., 2012). The risk of stroke for HRT women could be dose dependant according the Nurses Health Survey, the higher the dose the greater the risk of
Farlex Partner Medical Dictionary (2012) defines Hormone Replacement Therapy as “the use of synthetic or natural female hormones to make up for the decline or lack of natural hormones produced in a woman's body” These hormones are predominantly made up of an oestrogen compound to counteract the low hormone levels in menopausal women. This compound provides …show more content…
Menopause is a natural physiological event occurring in women with a median age around 50 years. According to Dr Short (2015), menopause is the termination of menstruation from the loss of ovarian follicular activity. When amenorrhoea occurs for the following twelve consecutive months with no obvious pathological and physiological cause, then it is recognised as a natural menopause. Menopause can cause a woman’s ovaries to stop producing oestrogen (Craparo, 2015) and the loss of oestrogen can cause numerous physiological effects and symptoms in women. Short (2015) identified five categories of symptoms which are vasomotor, urogenital, sexual dysfunction, psychological and others. Hot flushes, which affect up to 80% of women, belong to the category of vasomotor symptoms relating to blood vessels being constricted or dilated. Urogenital symptoms are related to the urinary and genital organs such as vaginal dryness. Sexual …show more content…
The relationship between HRT and breast cancer in menopausal women is very controversial (de Villiers et al., 2013). The incidence of breast cancer in women using combined HRT is more prevalent in lean women with a body mass index less (BMI) than 25 (Hou et al., 2013). The journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), has published results of a recent study of women receiving HRT treatment (Wise, 2013). This study involved 27,000 postmenopausal women aged between 50 and 79. The results from the study revealed that there were 206 cases of breast cancer among women with combined HRT treatment, while there were 155 cases in the placebo group. The Women’s Health Initiative study showed the risk of breast cancer did not increase for women who have had a hysterectomy and are receiving oestrogen-only HRT (Gompel et al., 2008). The use of oestrogen-only HRT increases the risk of endometrial cancer in women who have an intact uterus (Short, 2015). In these cases women should use progestogen with oestrogen to counteract the stimulation of the endometrium (Hickey et al., 2012). Combined HRT does not raise the risk of endometrial cancer providing the correct balance of progesterone is used (Furness et al., 2012). The risk of stroke for HRT women could be dose dependant according the Nurses Health Survey, the higher the dose the greater the risk of