“If you decide to use hormone therapy, use it at the lowest
dose that helps. Also use hormones
for the shortest time that you need them”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy Benefits and Risks Umbrella include?

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

  • HRT/HT/MHT Benefits and Risks
  • HRT/HT/MHT Health Benefits and Risks
  • HRT/HT/MHT Pros and Cons
  • HRT/HT/MHT Risks and Benefits
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)

Date

What can it be important to be clear about with hormone therapy (HT) benefits and risks information?

It can be important to be clear about the date of all information including the date of HT benefits and risks information, because this information may have been updated.

Symptoms or Chronic Conditions

What can it also be important to be clear about with HT benefits and risks information?

It can also be important to be clear about whether HT benefits and risks information is about the use of HT for the management of menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness or for the prevention of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and osteoporosis.

Hormone Therapy

What is hormone therapy (HT) or menopausal hormone therapy (MHT)?

Depending on the Source the definition of HT may vary. In Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – What Is MHT? the (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health (JH) definition is:

“Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), formerly known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), helps manage menopausal symptoms when they interfere with your life. Menopausal symptoms are caused by lowering levels of oestrogen hormones. MHT is the medical replacement of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone, and sometimes testosterone”.2

Benefits and Risks Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ?

Yes. HT benefits and risks can differ. These differences may include:

Hormone Therapy Benefits and Risks Differences

  1. Benefit Differences
  2. Risk Differences
  3. Individual Differences
  4. Symptom Differences
  5. Age Differences
  6. Postmenopause Differences
  7. Health Conditions Differences
  8. Uterus Differences
  9. EPT and ET Differences
  10. Product Differences
  11. Option Differences
  12. Duration Differences
  13. Breast Cancer Risk
  14. Bone Loss and Fracture Benefits

1. Benefit Differences

Can HT benefits differ?

In Risks and Benefits of MHT: Key Points the Australasian Menopause Society note:

“For the majority of symptomatic women, the benefits of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) outweigh the risks”.3

On page three 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:

“For most women, initiating HRT has a favourable benefit/risk profile. However, HRT should not be used without a clear indication and should not be used for the sole purpose of disease prevention”.4

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) the (United Kingdom) NHS elaborate on:

“The benefits and risks of taking HRT depend on your age, your menopause symptoms and any risk factors you have.

If you’re under 60 years old, have menopause symptoms, and are not at high risk of breast cancer or blood clots, the benefits of HRT are likely to outweigh the risks.

Talk to a GP, who will help you decide”.5

2. Risk Differences

Can HT risks differ?

In Menopause: Menopause – Hormone Therapy: What Are the Risks of Using Hormone Therapy? the (United States) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) note:

“For some women, hormone therapy may increase their chances of getting blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and gall bladder disease. For a woman with a uterus, estrogen increases the chance of getting endometrial cancer (cancer of the uterine lining). Adding progestin lowers this risk”.6

3. Individual Differences

Can HT individual benefits and risks differ?

On page two 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, one of the recommendations is:

  • “The decision whether to take HRT, the dose and duration of its use should be made on an individualised basis after discussing the benefits and risks with each patient. This should be considered in the context of the overall benefits obtained from using HRT including symptom control and improving quality of life as well as considering the bone and cardiovascular benefits associated with HRT use”.7

4. Symptom Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for different menopause symptoms?

On page 767 in The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of the North American Menopause Society: Abstract  “endorsed by more than 20 well-respected international organizations”, published July 2022, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) note:

“For bothersome genitourinary syndrome of menopause symptoms not relieved with over-the-counter therapies in women without indications for use of systemic hormone therapy, low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy or other therapies (eg, vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone or oral ospemifene) are recommended”.8

5. Age Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for different ages?

In Hormone Therapy: Is Hormone Therapy Safe? the Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society) explain:

“For most women, experts agree that HT helps to control moderate to severe menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness within 10 years of menopause and up to age 59 years. Also, women should use the lowest dose for the shortest amount of time needed to keep the symptoms under control”.9

6. Postmenopause Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ according to if you’ve been postmenopausal for 10 years or more?

In Ongoing Individualized Hormone Therapy Appears to Have No Age Limit, published 04 September 2024, the Menopause Society note:


Hormone Therapy Benefits and Risks“The Menopause Society’s 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement advises that women aged older than 65 years can continue using hormone therapy (HT) with appropriate counseling and risk assessment. A new retrospective analysis demonstrates that it’s not unusual for women aged as old as 80 years to still benefit from HT. Results of the analysis will be presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Chicago September 10-14”.10

7. Health Conditions Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for different health conditions?

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): When HRT Is Not Suitable, last updated 03 November 2022, the (Scottish) NHS Inform explain:

“HRT may not be suitable, or a specialist opinion may be needed, if you:

  • Have a history of breast cancer, ovarian cancer or womb (uterus) cancer
  • Have a history of blood clots, tablet HRT is not recommended but taking HRT through the skin can be considered
  • Have a history of heart disease or stroke
  • Have untreated high blood pressure – your blood pressure will need to be controlled before you can start HRT
  • Have liver disease
  • Are pregnant or breastfeeding”.11

In Menopause: Hormone Therapy – Who Should Not Take Hormone Therapy for Menopause?, published 14 December 2023, the FDA note:

“Women who:

  • Think they are pregnant
  • Have problems with vaginal bleeding
  • Have certain kinds of cancers
  • Have had a stroke or heart attack
  • Have had blood clots
  • Have liver disease”.12

8. Uterus Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for those who have a uterus?

Hormone Therapy Benefits and RisksOn page one in Deciding About Hormone Use, published July 2022, the NAMS note:

“Because estrogen stimulates the lining of the uterus, women with a uterus need to take an additional hormone, progestogen, to protect the uterus”.13

Hormone Therapy Benefits and RisksIf you do not have a uterus, on page one in Deciding About Hormone Use, the NAMS also note:

“Women without a uterus just take estrogen”.14

9. ET and EPT Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for those who use ET and those who use EPT?

In Hormone Therapy: Is Hormone Therapy Safe? the Menopause Society explain:

“You and your healthcare professional need to balance your individual benefits and risks based on your medical history. For example, if you don’t have a uterus and can take ET alone, your risks are different from those women who still have a uterus and must use EPT to protect against uterine cancer”.15

10. Product Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for different HT products?

On page two in Deciding About Hormone Use: Pill or Non-Pill the NAMS explain:

“Hormone therapy is available as a daily pill, but it also may be taken as a skin patch, gel, cream, spray, or vaginal ring. Non-pill forms may be more convenient. Hormone therapy pills need to be taken every day, but skin patches are changed only once or twice weekly, and the HT vaginal ring is changed only every 3 months. Hormone therapy taken in non-pill form enters your blood stream more directly, with less effect on the liver. Studies suggest that this may lower the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs compared with HT taken as a pill”.16

11. Option Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for different HT options?

On page 767 in The North American Menopause Society Releases Its 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement: Abstract the NAMS note:

“The risks of hormone therapy differ depending on type, dose, duration of use, route of administration, timing of initiation, and whether a progestogen is used”.17

In Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – What Are the Risks of MHT?, last updated 03 September 2024, the JH note:

“Research shows there are some risks associated with MHT. The risks of hormone therapy differ depending on:

  • The type of medication
  • The dose given
  • How long the medication is used for
  • How the medication is given (e.g. patch or tablet)
  • When medication is started
  • Whether a progestogen is used
  • The type of progestogen used”.18

12. Duration Differences

Can HT benefits and risks differ for those who choose to use HT for different duration or lengths of time?

In Menopause: Menopause – Hormone Therapy: How Long Should I Use Hormone Therapy for Menopause Symptoms? the FDA note:

“Treatment of menopausal symptoms should be decided with your health care provider, as there are many different FDA-approved hormones for treatment of the symptoms of menopause”.19

13. Breast Cancer Risk

Can HT increase breast cancer risk?

On page one in Deciding About Hormone Use: Potential Risks the NAMS explain:

“Hormone therapy (combined estrogen and progestogen) might slightly increase your risk of breast cancer if used for more than 4 to 5 years. Using estrogen alone (for women without a uterus) does not increase breast cancer risk at 7 years but may increase risk if used for a longer time”.20

On page two 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 one of the recommendations is:

  • “Current evidence suggests that oestrogen alone HRT is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer than combined HRT. Breast cancer risk is duration dependent and may vary with the type of progestogen used. The risk of breast cancer should be considered in the context of the overall benefits and risks associated with HRT intake”.21

14. Bone Loss Benefit

Can HT prevent bone loss and fractures?

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 explain:

  • “MHT prevents bone loss and fractures in postmenopausal women”.22

Health Care Provider

What if I choose to use HT, how can I find out what my benefits and risks are?

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 one in Deciding About Hormone Use the NAMS explain:


Hormone Therapy Benefits and Risks“Every woman is different, and you will decide about whether to use HT based on the severity of your symptoms, your personal and family health history, and your own beliefs about menopause treatments. Your healthcare professional will be able to help you with your decision”.23

In Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Is Hormone Therapy for Menopause?, published 14 December 2023, the FDA note:

“Menopause hormone therapy is not for everyone. Like all medicines, hormone therapy has benefits and risks. Talk with your health care provider about hormone therapy. If you decide to use hormone therapy, use it at the lowest dose that helps. Also use hormones for the shortest time that you need them”.24

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Sources

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Sources

  1. Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Is Hormone Therapy for Menopause? Content Current As of: 14 December 2023. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/menopause Accessed: 15 September 2024
  2. Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – What Is MHT? Last Updated: 03 September 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management Accessed: 15 September 2024
  3. Risks and Benefits of MHT: Key Points. Content Updated January 2021. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/risks-and-benefits-of-mht-hrt Accessed: 15 September 2024
  4. 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 2022:3. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 15 September 2024
  5. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Page Last Reviewed: 08 February 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/benefits-and-risks-of-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/ Accessed: 15 September 2024
  6. Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Are the Risks of Using Hormone Therapy? Content Current As of: 14 December 2023. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/menopause Accessed: 15 September 2024
  7. 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 2022:2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 15 September 2024
  8. The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society: Abstract. July 2022:767. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf Accessed: 15 September 2024
  9. Hormone Therapy: Is Hormone Therapy Safe? Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hormone-therapy Accessed: 15 September 2024
  10. Ongoing Individualized Hormone Therapy Appears to Have No Age Limit. 04 September 2024. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/press-releases/ongoing-individualized-hormone-therapy-appears-to-have-no-age-limit 15 September 2024
  11. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): When HRT Is Not Suitable. Last Updated 03 November 2022. NHS Inform https://www.nhsinform.scot/tests-and-treatments/medicines-and-medical-aids/types-of-medicine/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/ Accessed: 15 September 2024
  12. Menopause: Hormone Therapy – Who Should Not Take Hormone Therapy for Menopause? Content Current As of: 14 December 2023. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/menopause Accessed: 15 September 2024
  13. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use. 2022:1. Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 15 September 2024
  14. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use. 2022:1. Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 15 September 2024
  15. Hormone Therapy: Is Hormone Therapy Safe? Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hormone-therapy Accessed: 15 September 2024
  16. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Pill or Non-Pill. 2022:2. Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 15 September 2024
  17. The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society: Abstract. Menopause, Volume 29, No 27, 2022:767. Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/nams-2022-hormone-therapy-position-statement.pdf Accessed: 15 September 2024
  18. Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – What Are the Risks of MHT? Last Updated: 03 September 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management Accessed: 15 September 2024
  19. Menopause: Hormone Therapy – How Long Should I Use Hormone Therapy for Menopause Symptoms? Content Current As of: 14 December 2023. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/menopause Accessed: 15 September 2024
  20. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Potential Benefits. 2022:2. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 15 September 2024
  21. 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 2022:2. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20533691221104879 Accessed: 15 September 2024
  22. 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: 15 September 2024
  23. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use. 2022:1. North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 15 September 2024
  24. Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Is Hormone Therapy for Menopause? Content Current As of: 14 December 2023. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/consumers/womens-health-topics/menopause Accessed: 15 September 2024
Topic Last Updated: 15 September 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 15 September 2024