Menopausal hormone therapy, sometimes called hormone replacement therapy, is safe for some women, but it also has risks. That is why the FDA advises women who want to try menopausal hormone therapy to use the lowest dose that works for the shortest time needed.
Research shows that:
- Menopausal hormone therapy may be an option for women up to age 59, but usually only within 10 years of menopause. Younger women and those closer to their final menstrual period are less likely to have the harmful side effects from menopausal hormone therapy.
- Menopausal hormone therapy reduces menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep problems, mood changes, and vaginal dryness.
- Hot flashes usually require higher doses of estrogen therapy that affect the whole body.
- Women with vaginal dryness or discomfort during sex may find relief with low doses of topical vaginal estrogen.
- Estrogen alone and estrogen plus progesterone raise the risk of stroke and blood clots in the legs and lungs. The risks are rare in women between 50 and 59.