Estrogen Replacement Therapy

If you are approaching the menopause, discuss the risks and benefits of estrogen replacement therapy with your doctor. Administered over a period of years, estrogen can relieve unpleasant symptoms related to reduced estrogen levels. For women at high risk of osteoporosis, long-term therapy substantially reduces the chances of bone fracture. In addition, some studies show that estrogen lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, and some evidence suggests that women taking estrogen suffer from depression less often.

Estrogen replacement therapy is not appropriate for everyone. Taking estrogen alone causes a slight increase in the risk of cancer of the uterus. But when progestin, a synthetic form of progesterone, is given in addition to estrogen, this risk is reduced. However, combination therapy causes continuation of periodic spotting. Estrogen replacement therapy is not recommended for women who have a history of breast or uterine cancer. It is also not suitable for women with a history of stroke, pulmonary embolism, deep-vein thrombosis, or liver disease. Taking estrogen may lead to minor side effects such as breast discomfort, water retention, and nausea.

Additional Resources:

• Estrogen Replacement Therapy: University of South Alabama : http://www.fammed.usouthal.edu/ResidencyProgram/Guides&JobAids/handouts/...
• North American Menopause Society: http://www.menopause.org/Consumers.aspx
• Effects of Estrogen Replacement Therapy on the Renin-Angiotensin System : http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/95/1/39

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