HRT — Helpful Or Harmful?

Hormone Replacement Therapy may be able to relieve hot flashes and night sweats, but it does not help women prevent conditions like heart disease and breast cancer.

In fact -- according to government experts -- it could be harmful.

Members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviewed the latest data on hormone replacement therapy for the prevention of chronic conditions -- and they are recommending against treatment.

While they found estrogen alone and estrogen plus progestin could lower the risk for fracture, there were significant risks linked to both treatments.

Estrogen plus progestin was found to increase the risk for stroke, blood clots, dementia and invasive breast cancer.

Estrogen alone, usually given to women who've had a hysterectomy, slightly lowered the risk for breast cancer, but increased the risk for stroke and clots.

Experts say hormone replacement therapy could still be considered for women who are just entering menopause and are looking for symptom relief -- as long as they don't have an increased risk for conditions like heart disease and breast cancer.

Patients should talk to their doctor.

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HRT -- Helpful Or Harmful?