| Thanks to medical research, we know a lot more about hormone therapy than we did a few years ago — especially the risks. We know that the risks are slight for most women but they increase the longer the therapy goes on.
We know that combined therapy with estrogen and progestin slightly increases the risk of breast cancer, blood clots, heart disease, and gall bladder disease. Therapy that only uses estrogen slightly increases the risks of blood clots, uterine cancer, and gall bladder disease. It is possible that estrogen therapy worsens heart disease for women who already have it. It is also possible that using hormone therapy for longer than 10 years increases the risk of breast cancer.
That said, we know that hormone therapy can relieve vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and other symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. It can improve a woman's feeling of well-being. And it reduces the risk of osteoporosis — bone thinning — and colon cancer. These are important and worthwhile benefits.
The key to safe and successful use of hormone therapy is to work with an experienced clinician. She will be able to prescribe the smallest doses or hormone for the shortest amount of time necessary for effectiveness.
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