The North American Menopause Society is changing their recommendations for HRT.

[samaja]

I got this from a FB hormonal support group run by dr Anna Garrett and believe it will be of interest to some ladies here as well. She said it was announced during a conference her friend attended and is ok to share.

"The North American Menopause Society is changing their recommendations for HRT. An MD friend of mine got her hands on the scoop before the article comes out. Here's what I've got:

1. No longer is the statement that women should use the lowest effective dose of HRT for the shortest duration of time valid. This of course was the standard of care statement that evolved from the WHI.

2. It is recommended that women without a contraindication for HRT use it for 10 - 20 years post the menopausal transition. This is because it reduces the risk for heart disease and osteoporosis without increasing the risk for breast cancer.

They are not saying that it reduces the risk for dementia (I do believe it does - just this has not been proven in a randomized controlled fashion).

3. transdermal estrogen is the preferred delivery method as it dose not increase clotting factors and thus is not associated with increased risks for clots (DVT/PE, stroke, MI). Also this method optimizes changes in the lipid profile (lowers LDL/TG and increases HDL) and does not increase sex hormone binding globulin thus allowing for better bioavailability of testosterone.

4. Testosterone does not increase a woman's risk for heart disease or breast cancer and should be considered as a component of post-menopausal HRT. The FDA did not approve testosterone replacement in women previously because of these two concerns."

[puncturedbicycle]

I find this such an exhausting subject. I thought the current thinking was that hrt *does* increase the risk for bc (this is what I understood having discussed it w experts when my mum was being treated for bc) and I thought testosterone was associated w increased risk of endometrial cancer - ?

Don't get me wrong, I've seen the difference hrt can make and now that I'm seeing all kinds of perimenopausal changes I'd be eager to see what could be done, but experts have been flipflopping for years about the consequences of hrt and I no longer know what to think.

[sweetsusie]

I'm 70 years old and was so fatigued I could barely get off my couch to go to the kitchen. I became isolated and didn't care much about anything. My doctor found I had hypothyroid and put me on levo....now I'm on nature thryoid...couldn't tell any difference at all since taking either of these. Anyway, I begged my doctor to put me on hormones and he finally agreed to do so!! I've been on them (estradiol norethrine) for 2 months now and I feel absolutely wonderful! I believed the big study and always refused to take the hormones, but now, I'm hoping my doctor will let me continue to take them for the rest of my life!

[ShinyB]

Interesting. Thanks for posting Did they go in to any detail re bioidentical hormones v synthetic ones, do you know?

[samaja in reply to ShinyB]

I don't think so.