What Are The Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)?

What is HRT?

Hormone replacement therapy, also called HRT, is a medically prescribed treatment that supplements or replaces hormones that your body has stopped producing or that your body isn’t making in high enough amounts. 

Most commonly, HRT refers to treatment with hormone replacement for women who are struggling with symptoms related to menopause. The most common hormones used in this case are estrogen and progesterone. Testosterone is also used in men and women who have low testosterone levels, but won’t be discussed in this article. 

Why is HRT used?

HRT is used to treat the variety of symptoms that low or imbalanced hormones can cause. In women, these would most often be menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, and mood swings. 

Estrogen and progesterone have been widely used for menopausal symptoms since the 1960’s and continue to be used, with proper caution, for many women today. 

How is HRT taken?

There are many types of HRT, such as estrogen only, combined estrogen and progesterone, and testosterone therapies. There are creams, gels, patches, injections and pills that can be used for these treatments, depending on the medication and your preferences (as well as availability and insurance coverage). 

Benefits of HRT for menopause symptoms 

HRT is one of the most effective ways to treat the irritating, and sometimes debilitating, symptoms of menopause. 

The main benefits are its effects on things like:

• Hot flashes: HRT, particularly with estrogen-based treatments, makes hot flashes a lot less frequent and less intense.

• Sleep: By making night sweats and hot flashes less of an issue, HRT often helps women get a better night of sleep. Better sleep can help with fatigue and mood as well.

• Vaginal dryness: Estrogen can help your cells replenish moisture and elasticity in the vagina making activities like intimacy more comfortable.

• Urinary symptoms: HRT can make urinary issues like incontinence or recurrent UTIs less of an issue.

• Mood: For many women, HRT can help to address the mood swings, irritability and fatigue that can come with menopause. 

Risks and Side Effects of HRT

While HRT is extremely effective and commonly used for many women for menopause symptoms, it is a treatment that should only be prescribed after a careful and informed conversation with your doctor. Because of risks associated with HRT, like breast cancer, stroke, and blood clots, your doctor may recommend against it or recommend you only take it for a short amount of time depending on your health history. 

Long-term health benefits of HRT

HRT offers several long-term benefits that go beyond just managing pesky menopause symptoms. While a big part of HRT is treating symptoms of hormone imbalances, it also protects against long-term effects, like osteoporosis. 

Estrogen plays an important role in keeping bone density up by doing things like keeping the cells that break bone down at bay. While HRT is beneficial for preventing bone density issues, it’s usually not the first line of treatment as there are some risks to taking HRT that outweigh the benefits for some patients.

Studies have also shown that HRT can reduce the risk of heart disease, dementia, and reduce the risk of colon cancer in some women. Many women also claim to have less joint pain and healthier hair and skin while on HRT. 

Personalized care in hormone management 

Hormone replacement therapy is widely used and provides both short-term and long-term benefits. In the short-term, symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and night sweats can be effectively treated. In the longer term, HRT can help protect you against osteoporosis and reduce your risk of dementia. Besides these, HRT has also been credited with women feeling that their skin and hair looked healthier. 

Since HRT isn’t without risks, a personalized approach that takes into consideration your family history, personal health history, and personal preferences is incredibly valuable and should all be discussed with your doctor before you start or stop any treatments.