Estrogen replacement therapy (or ERT) has been a game changer for millions of menopausal women since it was first introduced during the 1960s.
However, ERT is not a one-size-fits-all solution.
Is estrogen replacement right for you? Let’s look at its benefits, its potential side effects, and best practice for estrogen replacement.
Benefits of Estrogen Replacement Therapy
The female mind and body functions best when estrogen levels are optimal. This is as true during menopause as it is pre-menopause.
A decline in estrogen due to menopause can cause a wide range of unpleasant symptoms, and it can also compromise a woman’s health in the long run.
Fortunately, properly administered estrogen therapy can alleviate and/or prevent the following:
- Hot flashes and night sweats
Estrogen deficiency upsets the body’s natural thermostat. The result can be hot flashes and night sweats.
Estrogen replacement helps to restore the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
- Brain fog
Memory, concentration, and focus are often compromised when estrogen levels are low. Many women describe what they experience as “brain fog”.
A woman’s brain functions best when estrogen levels are optimized. Estrogen replacement therapy can restore the mental acuity that is often lost during menopause.
- Mood instability
Estrogen is an important neurotransmitter that is essential for maintaining stable moods.
As a consequence, estrogen replacement can alleviate the depression, anxiety, mood swings, and irritability that are often associated with menopause. - Weight gain
Weight gain during menopause, especially around the midsection, is common—even when lifestyle habits are optimal. These changes occur largely because estrogen directly impacts metabolism, fat distribution, and appetite.
Trying to lose weight when estrogen levels are low can feel like fighting an uphill battle. Alternatively, restoring estrogen to healthy levels can make weight loss easier. - Vaginal dryness and atrophy
Estrogen directly impacts vaginal health. When vaginal tissue becomes dry and/or thin due to an estrogen deficiency, the result can be vaginal irritation and pain during sex.
Estrogen replacement is the solution to this problem. For severe vaginal dryness and atrophy, vaginally applied estrogen can provide faster relief.
- Osteoporosis
Bone loss becomes a significant health risk for woman once they reach menopause because estrogen is needed for maintaining healthy bones.
Estrogen therapy can prevent bone loss from happening in the first place, and it can improve bone density if bone loss has already occurred. - Age-related illnesses
Estrogen deficiency is linked to an increased risk for developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cognitive decline.
Restoring estrogen to healthy levels has been shown to reduce the risk for developing these age-related illnesses.
But What About Side Effects and Health Risks?
During the 1990s, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study linked estrogen therapy to an increased risk for developing blood clots and breast cancer. Estrogen has had a complicated and undeserved reputation ever since.
Today we know that the WHI study was significantly flawed, such that the conclusions it reached were ultimately rendered meaningless. The following are some of issues with how the WHI study was structured and executed:
- Only synthetic estrogen and progesterone were used in the study. In fact, the study was funded by a pharmaceutical company that manufactured synthetic hormones.
- Most of the study participants were overweight, which in and of itself increases cancer and cardiovascular disease risk.
- Most of the women in the study were more than 10 years past the onset of menopause. Today we know that women who start hormone therapy at younger ages experience positive outcomes, including a decrease in breast cancer.
- The results were skewed by the high percentage of women who dropped out of the study (42%).
- The women in the study took the medication orally, which researchers later found was in part responsible for adverse results.
More recent studies have shown that properly administered estrogen therapy does not increase health risks. On the contrary, bioidentical estrogen therapy, when prescribed correctly, provides safe and effective symptom relief, and improves long-term health overall.
How to Get the Best Results from ERT
Above all else, it is crucial that estrogen therapy be prescribed correctly by a physician with expertise in hormone therapy for women. The following will help to maximize the safety and effectiveness of your estrogen therapy:
- Only take bioidentical estrogen. Synthetic estrogen should be avoided.
- Estrogen therapy is safest when two types of estrogen are taken together—specifically estradiol and estriol. While estradiol is needed for heart, bone, and brain health, estriol is breast protective.
- Only take bioidentical estrogen with bioidentical progesterone. Taking estrogen without progesterone causes estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance can cause side effects and increases breast cancer risk.
- Estrogen is safest when applied topically using a transdermal cream that is custom compounded for your body’s particular needs.
- Make sure your estrogen therapy is properly monitored via routine blood testing to confirm that your levels stay within a healthy range.
- Combine your estrogen therapy with healthy lifestyle habits.
For more than 25 years, Renew Youth has been a nationwide leader in bioidentical hormone therapy for women. Ready to get started? Call us at 800-859-7511 or use our easy contact form to schedule your complimentary 30-minute consultation.