Risks in perspective

If you are struggling with menopause symptoms but worry about the potential risks of hormone therapy, talk with your doctor to put your personal risk into perspective. Consider these points:

• The risk of heart disease to an individual taking hormone therapy is very low. If you are in early menopause, have moderate to severe hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, and are otherwise healthy, the benefits of hormone therapy likely outweigh any potential risks of heart disease.
• Your individual risk of developing heart disease depends on many factors, including family medical history, personal medical history and lifestyle practices. Talk to your doctor about your personal risks. If you're at low risk of heart disease, and your menopausal symptoms are significant, hormone therapy is a reasonable consideration.
• Risk differs for women with early natural menopause or primary ovarian insufficiency. If you stopped having periods before age 40 (early natural menopause) or lost normal function of your ovaries before age 40 (primary ovarian insufficiency), you have a different set of heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) health risks compared with women who reach menopause closer to the average age of 51. This includes a higher risk of coronary heart disease. Hormone therapy in this case protects against heart disease, and your doctor may recommend that you take hormone therapy until you reach the average age that most women enter menopause, around age 51.

Menopause hormone therapy risks may vary depending on:

• Whether estrogen is given alone or with a progestin
• Your current age and age at menopause
• The dose, type of estrogen and how you take it, such as a pill, skin patch or vaginal cream
• Other health risks, such as your family medical history and cancer risks