“Hormone therapy remains first-line therapy
for management of bothersome vasomotor symptoms,
and the benefits typically outweigh the risks for…”.1

Umbrella

What may the Hormone Therapy Umbrella include?

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

  • Hormone (Replacement) Therapy H(R)T
  • Hormone Medicines
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
  • Hormone Therapy (HT)
  • Hormones
  • Medicines for Hormone Replacement Therapy
  • Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT)
  • Menopause Hormone Medicines
  • Menopause Medicines

Date

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

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

Symptoms or Chronic Conditions

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

It can also be important to be clear about whether HT 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.

Definition

What is hormone therapy (HT)?

DotS 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:

Hormone Therapy“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

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): About Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) the (United Kingdom) NHS’s definition is:

“Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment used to help menopause symptoms. It replaces the hormones oestrogen and progesterone, which fall to low levels as you approach the menopause”.3

In Glossary of Terms: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)/ Hormone Therapy (HT) the Australasian Menopause Society’s (AMS) definition is:

“MHT are hormones that are prescribed during the menopause transition and menopause to alleviate oestrogen deficiency symptoms such as hot flushes, mood swings, vaginal dryness and to prevent or treat osteoporosis. MHT is also recommended for women with premature ovarian insufficiency.

Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) is the term for what was formerly referred to as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)”.4

In Hormone Therapy the Menopause Society’s (formerly the North American Menopause Society) definition is:

“Hormone therapies (HT), sometimes mistakenly called hormone replacement therapy, are the prescription drugs used most often to treat menopause symptoms such as hot flashes and genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), which includes vaginal dryness after menopause”.5

Hormone TherapyOn page four of Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 2. What Is MHT? the International Menopause Society’s (IMS) Leaflet for Women for World Menopause Day 2024, the IMS’s definition is:

“MHT supplements the hormones your body stops making after menopause. These hormones, particularly estrogen and progesterone, are crucial for managing menopause symptoms and protecting your health.

  • Estrogen: The main hormone used in MHT. It helps reduce hot flushes, night sweats, and vaginal dryness
  • Progesterone: This is given to women who still have a uterus (womb). It helps protect the womb lining from growing too much when taking estrogen”.6

5 Ws of Menopause Hormone Therapy

What is the IMS’s The 5 Ws of Menopause Hormone Therapy?

Hormone TherapyIn World Menopause Day 2024: The 5 Ws of Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT) the IMS elaborate on:

  1. “Who is MHT for?
  2. What is MHT?
  3. When should MHT be started and stopped?
  4. Why is MHT important?
  5. Where can you get MHT?”7

Contraceptive or Not

Is HT a contraceptive?

No. On page four in Contraception for the Older Woman: Hormone Replacement Therapy the (British) Women’s Health Concern (WHC) note:

“It is important to realise that HRT is not a method of contraception”.8

Effective or Not

How effective is HT?

On page one in The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy: Indications for the Use of Hormone Therapy, published October 2024, the Menopause Society note:

“Hormone therapy remains first-line therapy for management of bothersome vasomotor symptoms, and the benefits typically outweigh the risks for most healthy women when initiated younger than age 60 years or within 10 years of menopause onset with appropriate counseling.

Hormone therapy is indicated for the treatment of bothersome vasomotor symptoms,
genitourinary syndrome of menopause, primary ovarian insufficiency, and prevention of bone loss and reduction of fracture risk”.9

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:

“The most robust menopause Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) support MHT as the most effective treatment to alleviate VMS”.10

What is VMS?

VMS can be an abbreviation for Vasomotor Symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats.

Types

Are there different types of HT?

Yes. In HRT: Which HRT? the WHC explain:

“The type of HRT most suited to a woman will depend on a variety of factors, including her stage in the menopausal process, and whether or not she has had a hysterectomy. Most forms of HRT combine different amounts of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone (synthetic progesterone is called progestogen).

There are over 50 different combinations of HRT currently available. Most women will make their choice whether to take HRT, and which form of HRT to take, with the help of their doctor”.11

Dose and Duration

What does the (United States) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) note about deciding to use HT?

In Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Is Hormone Therapy for Menopause? 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”.12

Benefits and Risks

What are the benefits and risks of HT?

In Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment the (United States) Mayo Clinic explain:

“Before deciding on any form of treatment, talk with your healthcare professional about your choices and the risks and benefits of each. Review your choices yearly. Your needs and the treatment choices may change”.13

In Hormone Therapy: Frequently Asked Questions – Who Should Not Use Hormone Therapy? the Menopause Society note:

“Hormone therapy is not a good choice for every woman. For some, the risks outweigh the benefits, so careful consideration with a healthcare professional is advised. In general, women who have breast cancer, uterine cancer, unexplained uterine bleeding, liver disease, a history of blood clots, and cardiovascular disease should not use hormone therapy”.14

In Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Benefits and Risks of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) the NHS note:

“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”.15

Who is a GP?

DotS and DotC (Depending on the Country) a GP may be a qualified and registered general practitioner, a medical practitioner, a medical doctor or a doctor.

Health Care Provider

What if I 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 two in Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Hormone Therapy Options the Menopause Society elaborate on:

“Each woman must make her own decision about HT with the help of her healthcare professional. If you decide to take HT, the next step is to choose between the many HT options available to find the best dose and route for you. With guidance from your health care professional, you can try different forms of HT until you find the type and dose that treats your symptoms with few adverse effects”.16

The JH also note:

“It can take around six months to find the right MHT. Once you’ve found an MHT that works for you, it’s important to review it with your doctor each year”.17

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Hormone Therapy?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Links

Where may I find Links related to Hormone Therapy?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy: Indications for the Use of Hormone Therapy. 2024:1. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TMS-statement-on-HT-Misinformation.pdf Accessed: 07 November 2024
  2. Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – What Is MHT? Last Updated: 20 September 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management Accessed: 07 November 2024
  3. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): About Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). Page Last Reviewed: 07 February 2023. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/about-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/ Accessed: 07 November 2024
  4. Glossary of Terms: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)/Hormone Therapy (HT). Content Updated: February 2022. Australasian Menopause Society’s https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/381-glossary-of-terms Accessed: 07 November 2024
  5. Hormone Therapy. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hormone-therapy Accessed: 07 November 2024
  6. Menopause and Menopause Hormone Therapy: 2. What Is MHT? 2024:4. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 07 November 2024
  7. World Menopause Day 2024. 2024. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024-WMD-Leaflet_English.pdf Accessed: 07 November 2024
  8. Contraception for the Older Woman: Hormone Replacement Therapy. Updated: November 2022:4. British Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/contraception-older-woman/ Accessed: 07 November 2024
  9. The Menopause Society Statement on Misinformation Surrounding Hormone Therapy: Indications for the Use of Hormone Therapy. 2024:1. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/TMS-statement-on-HT-Misinformation.pdf Accessed: 07 November 2024
  10. 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: 07 November 2024
  11. HRT: Which HRT? Publication Date: November 2021. Women’s Health Concern https://www.womens-health-concern.org/help-and-advice/factsheets/hrt/ Accessed: 07 November 2024
  12. Menopause: Hormone Therapy – What Is Hormone Therapy for Menopause? Content Current As of: 14 December 2023. Food and Drug Administration https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ByAudience/ForWomen/WomensHealthTopics/ucm117978.htm Accessed: 07 November 202
  13. Menopause: Diagnosis & Treatment – Treatment. 07 August 2024. Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/menopause/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353401 Accessed: 07 November 2024
  14. Hormone Therapy: Frequently Asked Questions – Who Should Not Use Hormone Therapy? 2024. Menopause Society https://menopause.org/patient-education/menopause-topics/hormone-therapy Accessed: 07 November 2024
  15. 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: 07 November 2024
  16. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use: Hormone Therapy Options. 2022:2. Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/docs/default-source/professional/menonote-deciding-about-ht-2022.pdf Accessed: 07 November 2024
  17. Menopause Management Options: Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) – How Long Do You Need To Take MHT? Last Updated: 20 September 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/menopause-management Accessed: 07 November 2024
Topic Last Updated: 12 November 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 07 November 2024