“It’s important to remember MHT is not recommended
solely to prevent aging,
memory loss, or dementia”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy and Aging Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and Aging/Prevention/Protection
  • Hormone Therapy (HT) and Aging/Prevention/Protection
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and Aging/Prevention/Protection

Benefits and Risks

What are the benefit and risks of hormone therapy (HT) associated with aging?

On page one in The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement published 07 July June 2022, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) explain:

  • “The benefits of hormone therapy outweigh the risks for most healthy symptomatic women who are aged younger than 60 years and within 10 years of menopause onset”.2

Disease Prevention

Is HT recommended for disease prevention?

On page four in the Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause, first published online 10 June 2022, one of the recommendations is:

“HRT should not be recommended for the primary or secondary prevention of chronic disease in women experiencing the menopause in keeping with national and international guidelines”.3

2022 USPSTF Recommendations

What were the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations about HT for the primary prevention of chronic conditions, published 01 November 2022?

Hormone Therapy and AgingIn Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions – Recommendation Summary, the USPSTF recommend:

“Postmenopausal persons
The USPSTF recommends against the use of combined estrogen and progestin for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons”.4

Hormone Therapy and AgingIn Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions – Recommendation Summary, the USPSTF recommended:

“Postmenopausal persons who have had a hysterectomy
The USPSTF recommends against the use of estrogen alone for the primary prevention of chronic conditions in postmenopausal persons who have had a hysterectomy”.5

Heart Disease

For some women may HT lower the risk of heart disease?

On page six of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 4. Why Is MHT Important? Why Consider MHT?, the International Menopause Society’s (IMS) Leaflet for Women for World Menopause Day 2024, the IMS note:

  • “Heart health: For some women, MHT may lower the risk of heart disease, especially when started close to the time of the menopause transition”.6

Bone Loss and Fractures

Does HT prevent bone loss and fractures in postmenopausal women?

In The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Considerations for All Women At Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy, published online 30 October 2023, the authors include:

  • “MHT prevents bone loss and fractures in postmenopausal women”.7

Fountain of Youth

Is HT the “fountain of youth”?

On page three of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? Who Might Not Need MHT?, the IMS’s Leaflet for Women for World Menopause Day 2024 the IMS note:

“Women who go through menopause at the natural age (after 45) and have no bothersome symptoms usually don’t need MHT. Some people believe MHT is a “fountain of youth”, but there’s little scientific evidence for that. It’s important to remember MHT is not recommended solely to prevent aging, memory loss, or dementia”.8

Stop or Not

If I am an older than 60 years, do I need to stop HT?

On page five of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 3. When Should MHT Be Started and Stopped? When To Stop, the IMS’s Leaflet for Women the IMS explain:

Hormone Therapy and Aging

  • “There is no set rule for when to stop MHT. Some women use it for only a few years, while others may need it longer
  • It’s important to regularly check with you healthcare professional to see if continuing MHT is the right choice for you”.9

Health Care Provider

What if I would like to choose to use HT?

If you choose to use HT, it may be in your best interest to also choose to talk to your health care provider about this.

On page six of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 3. When Should MHT Be Started and Stopped? Long-Term Use, the IMS’s Leaflet for Women the IMS note:

10

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Sources

  1. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? Who Might Not Need MHT? 2024:3. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 03 December 2024
  2. Hamoda, H., Mukherjee, A., Morris, E., Baldeweg, S. E., Jayasena, C. N., Briggs, P., Moger, S. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause. First Published Online 10 June 2022:4. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 03 December 2024
  3. The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement. 07 July 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/press-release/ht-position-statement-release.pdf Accessed: 03 December 2024
  4. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions – Clinician Summary: To Whom Does This Recommendation Apply. 01 November 2022. U.S. Preventative Services Task Force https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/menopausal-hormone-therapy-preventive-medication Accessed: 03 December 2024
  5. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions – Clinician Summary: To Whom Does This Recommendation Apply. 01 November 2022. U.S. Preventative Services Task Force https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/menopausal-hormone-therapy-preventive-medication Accessed: 03 December 2024
  6. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 4. Why Is MHT Important? Why Consider MHT? 2024:6. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 03 December 2024
  7. Davis, S. R., Taylor, S., Hemachandra, C., Magraith, K., Ebeling, P. R., Jane, F., and Islam, R. M. The 2023 Practitioner’s Toolkit for Managing Menopause: Management – Considerations for All Women At Menopause: Menopausal Hormone Therapy. First Published Online: 30 October 2023 https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13697137.2023.2258783 Accessed: 03 December 2024
  8. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 1. Who Is MHT For? Who Might Not Need MHT? 2024:3. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 03 December 2024
  9. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 3. When Should MHT Be Started and Stopped? When To Stop. 2024:5. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 03 December 2024
  10. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 3. When Should MHT Be Started and Stopped? Long-Term Use. 2024:3. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 03 December 2024
Topic Last Updated: 03 December 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 03 December 2024