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SIDE-EFFECTS AND POTENTIAL RISKS OF HORMONE REPLACEMENT
THERAPY
Breast Tenderness and Nausea
The most common minor side-effect of oestrogen therapy, would be
breast tenderness and possibly nausea. However these usually respond
to a decrease in the amount of Oestrogen taken.
High Blood Pressure and Heart Disease
Oestrogen’s are thought to raise the blood pressure and increase the
risk of heart disease, however, this has yet to be conclusively
proven, as some studies do show a reduced risk of high blood
pressure and heart disease in those using hormone replacement.
Risk factors would include:
- Family history of the disease
- Elevated blood pressure
- Lack of exercise
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Long-term oral contraceptive usage (over the age of 35 years)
- Smoking
Women falling into any of these categories should be monitored
very closely during treatment or alternatively not even consider HRT.
Liver and Gall Bladder Disease
The use of oestrogen can increase the risk of gall bladder disease
in those who are susceptible - those who are diabetic, overweight or
have an elevated cholesterol level. The liver plays an important
role in the chemical breakdown of oestrogen and should therefore not
be used in those women whose liver is damaged in any way.
Cancer of the Uterus
Long-term Oestrogen usage may increase the risk of developing cancer
of the lining of the uterus (endometrium). Under normal
circumstances, or in those women not receiving hormone replacement,
the chances of developing cancer of the uterus are approximately one
in one thousand. This figure increases to between four to eight per
one thousand in women receiving the treatment. Therefore it would
seem reasonable for low-dose Oestrogen to be administered, possibly
with a Progesterone - which appears to have a 'protective' effect by
blocking the negative action of oestrogen on the endometrial cells.
Women who have had their uterus removed through hysterectomy, would
obviously be at a greater advantage when considering Hormone
Replacement Therapy.
Other risk factors include:
- Early menstruation (before the age of 12 years)
- Diabetes
- Previous breast cancer
- Childlessness
- Inadequate intake of iodine and selenium
- High blood pressure
Cancer of the Breast
This is obviously a great source of worry to the middle-aged women,
as she is reaching an age where the risks of developing breast
cancer are increasing anyway. There is a possible increased risk of
developing breast cancer while receiving HRT, however it is thought
that this may only occur in those who are undergoing long-term high
dose Oestrogen treatment. Thus suggesting that the risks would be
decreased if the women were to use a lower dosage of oestrogen,
possibly also with the help of added progesterone’s. It should also
be remembered, that breast cancer is unfortunately a relatively
common condition (32 000 women are newly diagnosed each year), and
as yet there is no firm evidence to suggest that hormones increase
the likelihood of developing this disease, however it has been
reported that Oestrogen’s may accelerate the growth of cancer in
those women who are sufferers before starting treatment.
Other factors that may place you at risk:
- Having female relatives that suffer with the condition
- Having been a sufferer yourself
- High fat intake
- Early menstruation (before the age of 12 years)
- Late menopause (after the age of 50 years)
- Delayed motherhood (after the age of 35 years) or remaining
childless
- An abnormal increase in the number of cells (hyperplasia),
being diagnosed during a breast biopsy
- Inadequate intake of iodine and selenium
Depression
While many women report that hormone therapy improves their frame of
mind, there are those who find that it actually adversely affects
their moods.
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