Newly released position statement creates confidence in the safety of HRT for menopause treatment
For many years, misinformation about hormone treatment—and especially estrogen replacement—has been preventing many women from finding relief from menopause symptoms. With a new position statement published last month in the online journal Menopause, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) seeks to change this and “give women and providers confidence about using hormone therapy for symptomatic menopausal women when it is indicated.”
What the Research Says
According to the executive director of NAMS, research indicates that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) presents more benefits than risks to women under age 60 who are within 10 years of menopause.
NAMS has also concluded that HRT is beneficial for women suffering from early menopause, and for women over age 65 who have continued symptoms such as hot flashes or bone loss. There is no evidence to support routine discontinuation of HRT after age 65; in fact, discontinuing therapy is likely to trigger a recurrence of symptoms, regardless of a woman’s age or how long she has been taking estrogen.
What about estrogen therapy and breast cancer? Based on observational studies, NAMS has concluded that HRT does not change the risk of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in women who are already at high risk due to the BRCA ½ mutation.
Recommendations from the NAMS Position Statement
The NAMS position statement replaces the current idea of recommending the lowest dose of estrogen for the shortest period of time with the more fitting concept of appropriate:
- Dose
- Duration
- Regimen
- Route of Administration
These factors would need to be determined on an individualized basis as part of a shared and informed decision between a woman and her doctor. However, NAMS has included some standard recommendations:
- For vasomotor symptoms such as hot flashes or night sweats, estrogen should be prescribed together with progesterone. This helps to modulate the absorption of estrogen and protects against endometrial cancer.
- For vaginal symptoms such as vaginal atrophy and vaginal dryness, women should be provided with low-dose, topical estrogen preparations that will not affect overall hormone balance.
New Position Comes as No Surprise to Renew Youth
Because Renew Youth is careful to keep up with the latest reputable research on estrogen, HRT, and women’s health, the new recommendations from NAMS are hardly a surprise to us. In fact, we have already been implementing many of these recommendations for years:
- We always replace estrogen and progesterone together
- We provide individualized doses of estrogen and other hormones
- We boost estrogen to the higher end of the “healthy” range rather than just providing the lowest dose
- We use safe delivery methods for estrogen and other hormones
- We offer low-dose topical estrogen cream as an option for women needing help with vaginal symptoms
To learn more about Renew Youth’s menopause treatment options for women, please contact us at 800-859-7511 today.