If you're considering using hormones to quell the symptoms of menopause, there's important news to consider.
Research just published in the Archives of Internal Medicine has shown that women who take HRT - hormone replacement therapy - are at increased risk for stroke, up to 62% for those taking the highest doses.
But don't panic. There's more to this story than just statistics.
The research, which analyzed health records from over 120,000 women found that HRT does indeed increase the risk of blood clots - and that increases the risk of stroke.
However, they also found that the risks do appear to dose -related. Women who took the highest doses of hormones had the greatest risks, while those who took the lowest doses had only a marginal increased risk of stroke.
Why is this important?
At least some of the data used in this study was collected from women taking hormones as early as 1974 - a time when much higher doses of both estrogen and progesterone were routinely prescribed.
Today, the levels used in most HRT formulations are much, much lower - and most doctors, as well as experts from the North American Menopause Society as well as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommend using the lowest possible dose to control symptoms.
So, this same study conducted on women today might not yield these same statistical results.
That said, if you have other risk factors for stroke - including high blood pressure, and particularly if you smoke, or, if you have experienced pre eclampsia or high blood pressure during pregnancy ( even if it's normal now) HRT, in any dose, may still hold significant risks for you. Risks may also be signfiicant if you have a family history of stroke or related cardiovascular diseases.
The key: Talk to your doctor. Make sure your physician knows not only your complete health history - including conditions that may have existed at another time in your life - as well as your family history of disease - before discussing whether or not HRT is right for you.
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