Experts Agree About Hormone Therapy, Menopause Relief | The …

Ten years have passed since publication of the first results of the Womens Health Initiative (WHI) hormone therapy trials. The debate that followed gave women and their providers the impression that the experts dont agree on the topic of hormone therapy. The purpose of this joint statement is to demonstrate the experts do agree on the key points.

The North American Menopause Society, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and The Endocrine Society take the position that most healthy, recently menopausal women can use hormone therapy for relief of their symptoms of hot flashes and vaginal dryness if they so choose. These medical organizations also agree that women should know the facts about hormone therapy. Below are the major points of agreement among these societies.

There are many options for hormone therapy (estradiol and progesterone) approved by the FDA that are biochemically identical to the bodys own hormones. We dont have scientific proof that custom-compounded bioidentical hormone therapy is any safer or more effective than FDA-approved hormone therapies. Many medical organizations and societies agree in recommending against the use of custom-compounded hormone therapy for menopause management, particularly given concerns regarding content, purity, and safety labeling of compounded hormone therapy formulations.

There is a lack of safety data supporting the use of hormone therapy in women who have had breast cancer. Non-hormonal therapies should be the first approach in managing menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors.

Medical organizations devoted to the care of menopausal women agree that there is no question that hormone therapy has an important role in managing symptoms for healthy women during the menopause transition and in early menopause. Ongoing research will continue to provide more information as we move forward.

This solidarity statement was drafted jointly by The North American Menopause Society, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and The Endocrine Society.

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Experts Agree About Hormone Therapy, Menopause Relief | The ...