Hormone replacement therapy poses many health risks and these risks are associated with different factors like age, health condition of women, type of treatment. So it is very important to take this treatment in supervision of a qualified doctor as doctor can reduce risk by prescribing suitable medicines and administrate medication effectively.
Here are some risk associated with this therapy
- Several studies have shown that women who take estrogen/progestin have an increased risk for developing gallstones.
- Women who take estrogen have an increased risk for stroke. Women who also smoke, have heart disease, or are at higher risk for heart disease and stroke are less likely to be given estrogen hormones.
- Blood clotting risk is higher if you use birth control pills, which contain high doses of estrogen. Your risk is even higher if you smoke and take estrogen. The risk is not as high when estrogen skin patches (transdermal estrogen) are used.
- Deep venous thrombosis (DVT or blood clot in a vein) and pulmonary embolus (PE or blood clot in the lungs) are more common in women who take oral estrogen, regardless of their age.
- Woman who take estrogen replacement therapy for a long period of time have a small increase in risk for breast cancer. Most guidelines currently consider hormone therapy safe for breast cancer risk when taken for up to 5 years.
- The risk for endometrial cancer is more than five times higher in women who take estrogen therapy alone, compared with those who do not. However, taking progesterone with estrogen seems to protect against this cancer. Endometrial cancer does not develop in women who do not have a uterus.
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