Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for Women
During menopause the body stops producing the same levels of hormones that it has throughout the reproductive years. This hormonal decrease can result in unpleasant side effects such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and night sweats. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) treats these symptoms with medication that replace the hormones, typically estrogen and progesterone/progestin, that are no longer being produced naturally in the body throughout menopause. HRT is also often used an effective prevention against osteoporosis (bone thinning). A Brief History of HRT The Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Hormone Replacement Therapy for treatment of menopausal symptoms in the 1940s and for decades afterward HRT was broadly prescribed to women to mitigate the side effects of menopause. It was also thought that HRT possessed additional health benefits such as reducing the risks of heart disease and dementia. Unfortunately, clinical trials later showed that that w...