Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) raised some controversies in the recent days. Scientific community divided over the benefits of the HRT in women. HRT is usually given to women after menopause when symptoms of menopause appear.
Clinical symptoms of menopause:
These symptoms will appear due to estrogen deficiency. They are hot flushes, vaginal dryness and bone loss. These can be prevented by Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Past assumptions:
Image Courtey: American Academy of Physicians.
1. HRT decreases heart disease risk while increases breast cancer risk.
In 1990, American heart Association recommended HRT to older women to prevent osteoporosis and heart disease.
But in 2002, a clinical trial conducted by National Institute of Health revealed that HRT increases risk for both Breast cancer and heart diseases. After this trial, doctors are prescribing HRT only for short duration whenever required. Doctors are now giving symptomatic treatment for estrogen deficiency symptoms.
But according to a study published in New England Journal of Medicine, HRT protects women from heart disease if they took it during menopause from onset onwards but not later.
According to a new research report by UT Southwestern Medical Centre, a by-product (27-hydroxycholesterol) of cholesterol metabolism interferes with the beneficial effects of estrogen on cardiovascular system by binding to the same receptor. These results were published in the October issue of Nature Medicine.
There are still no concrete answers available on the effects of Hormone replacement Therapy in post menopausal women. More research should be done before coming to conclusion. Debate may goes on.
