Also called: Also called: ERT, Estrogen replacement therapy, HRT, Menopausal hormone therapy
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It is a normal part of aging. In the years before and during menopause, the levels of female hormones can go up and down. This can cause symptoms such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness. Some women take hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to relieve these symptoms. HRT may also protect against osteoporosis.
However, HRT also has risks. It can increase your risk of breast cancer, heart disease and stroke. Certain types of HRT have a higher risk, and each woman's own risks can vary depending upon her health history and lifestyle. You and your health care provider need to discuss the risks and benefits for you. If you do decide to take HRT, it should be the lowest dose that helps and for the shortest time needed. Taking hormones should be re-evaluated every six months.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Facts about Menopausal Hormone Therapy(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - Large PDF file - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/women/pht_facts.pdf
- Hormones and Menopause(National Institute on Aging) - http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/hormones.htm
- Menopausal Hormone Use and Cancer(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/menopausal-hormones
- Hormone Replacement Therapy(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Hormone_Replacement_Therapy.cfm
- Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/hormone-therapy/WO00046/METHOD=print
- Menopausal Hormone Therapy Information(National Institutes of Health) - http://www.nih.gov/PHTindex.htm
- Questions and Answers about the WHI Postmenopausal Hormone Therapy Trials(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/whi/whi_faq.htm
- Drop in Breast Cancer Rates Due to Drop in Hormone Replacement Therapy Use(02/04/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_75188.html
- 2 Years of Hormone Use May Be 'Safe'(02/03/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_75041.html
- Hormone Replacement Therapy Shrinks the Brain(01/12/2009, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_73726.html
- More News on Hormone Replacement Therapy http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_h.html#hormonereplacementtherapy
- Menopausal Symptoms and CAM(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/menopause/menopausesymptoms.htm
- Bio-Identicals: Sorting Myths from Facts(Food and Drug Administration) - http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/bioidenticals040808.html
- Hormone Replacement Therapy: Risks vs. Benefits(American Medical Association) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ596TUCKC&sub_cat=0
- Hormone Therapy for Menopausal Symptoms: The First Few Years(Hormone Foundation, Endocrine Society) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZFSCKZGLD&sub_cat=2002
- Phytoestrogens and Bone Health(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Osteoporosis/Menopause/bone_phyto.asp
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Estrogen Replacement Therapy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/intervention=estrogen+replacement+therapy
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hormone Replacement Therapy(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=(menopause+OR+postmenopause)+%5BCONDITION+%5D+((hormone+therapy)+OR+HRT)+%5BTREATMENT+%5D
- Breast Cancer Rates Dropped Even Before Hormone Results(American Cancer Society) - http://www.cancer.org/docroot/NWS/content/NWS_1_1x_Breast_Cancer_Rates_Dropped_Even_Before_Hormone_Results.asp
- Hormone Replacement Therapy and Breast Cancer Relapse(National Cancer Institute) - http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/results/hrt-and-breast-cancer0204
- Hormone Therapy: Does Timing Matter?(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=392
- Article: The cost-effectiveness of hormone therapy in younger and older postmenopausal... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19114171&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: The impact of hormone replacement therapy on humoral and cell-mediated... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19086108&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Influence of modified transdermal hormone replacement therapy on the concentrations... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=19059524&tool=MedlinePlus
- Hormone Replacement Therapy -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=estrogen+replacement+therapy[majr]+OR+(hormone+replacement+therapy[majr]+AND+estrogens[majr])+NOT+progestins[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Estrogen-progestin replacement therapy -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=hormone+replacement+therapy[majr]+AND+(estrogens[mh]+OR+estrogen+replacement+therapy[mh])+AND+progestins[mh]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Hormone Foundation - http://www.hormone.org/
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National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.nia.nih.gov/Espanol/
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National Women's Health Information Center(Dept. of Health and Human Services) - http://womenshealth.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://womenshealth.gov/espanol/
- Menopause - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/menopause.html
- Drug Therapy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/drugtherapy.html
- Endocrine System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/endocrinesystem.html
- Female Reproductive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/femalereproductivesystem.html
- Women - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/women.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Hormone Replacement Therapy is the National Institute on Aging - http://www.nia.nih.gov/