Hormone Replacement Therapy (HR)
Hormone Replacement Therapy In a society where youth and health at are at the top of many peoples personal life priorities there is a gender specific form of hormone treatment that remains under discussion.
Hormone replacement therapy or (HRT) is a controversial topic. There are experts who support the use of HRT and there are experts who oppose it. For the purposes of this research paper, I will discuss the definition and symptoms of menopause, history of HRT, benefits and risks of using HRT, types of HRT, the need for consultation and physical examination before starting
HRT, and why I support the use of HRT. According to Dr. Elmer Van Dyke, MD “There are two types of menopause, natural menopause and surgically induced menopause. …show more content…
Even with this limited history, Susan Lark, MD reported “Scientists first isolated estrogen and progesterone in the laboratory in their purified state during the 1920’s” (Facts About Hormonal Replacement Therapy). The somewhat primitive approach of crushing animal ovaries and liquefying them to give to women with surgically induced menopause limited the use of HRT for several decades. During the 1950s and 1960s the need for estrogen to treat menopausal symptoms became better understood. This development lead to the increased use of estrogen for things such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and even staying young. Unfortunately, the new concept of estrogen alone for therapy was not clearly understood, and thus women were not informed of its risk factors. It wasn’t until the 1970s that research studies showed menopausal women with uteruses taking estrogen alone had an increased risk for endometrial cancer. The results of these studies scared women and providers, so estrogen therapy for postmenopausal symptoms came to a screeching halt. Several years later, research showed that the “combination of estrogen and progesterone offered protection against the development of cancer of the lining of the uterus” (Lark). This new data allowed providers to use combination therapy for menopausal symptoms with less risk for patient
Hormone replacement therapy or (HRT) is a controversial topic. There are experts who support the use of HRT and there are experts who oppose it. For the purposes of this research paper, I will discuss the definition and symptoms of menopause, history of HRT, benefits and risks of using HRT, types of HRT, the need for consultation and physical examination before starting
HRT, and why I support the use of HRT. According to Dr. Elmer Van Dyke, MD “There are two types of menopause, natural menopause and surgically induced menopause. …show more content…
Even with this limited history, Susan Lark, MD reported “Scientists first isolated estrogen and progesterone in the laboratory in their purified state during the 1920’s” (Facts About Hormonal Replacement Therapy). The somewhat primitive approach of crushing animal ovaries and liquefying them to give to women with surgically induced menopause limited the use of HRT for several decades. During the 1950s and 1960s the need for estrogen to treat menopausal symptoms became better understood. This development lead to the increased use of estrogen for things such as hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, and even staying young. Unfortunately, the new concept of estrogen alone for therapy was not clearly understood, and thus women were not informed of its risk factors. It wasn’t until the 1970s that research studies showed menopausal women with uteruses taking estrogen alone had an increased risk for endometrial cancer. The results of these studies scared women and providers, so estrogen therapy for postmenopausal symptoms came to a screeching halt. Several years later, research showed that the “combination of estrogen and progesterone offered protection against the development of cancer of the lining of the uterus” (Lark). This new data allowed providers to use combination therapy for menopausal symptoms with less risk for patient