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What are the effects of menopausal hormones on bone health?
Osteoporosis is the loss of bone mass and density, which causes bones to become fragile and increases the chance of bone fractures. Low levels of estrogen have been linked to
osteoporosis in women.
Estrogen alone and estrogen combined with progestin have been shown to protect against osteoporosis. Results from the WHI showed that estrogen plus progestin can prevent fractures of the hip, vertebrae, and other bones (2). On average, for example, the researchers found that if a group of 10,000 women takes estrogen plus progestin for a year, 5 fewer cases of hip fractures will occur than in 10,000 nonusers.
A more detailed analysis of the WHI study (23) found a decreased risk of fracture in all subgroups of women regardless of age, smoking, fall and fracture history, past use of
hormones, parental fracture history, or years since menopause. Use of estrogen and progestin also had a consistent positive effect on bone mineral density.
However, some studies have shown that the benefits on bone health disappear after short-term hormone use is discontinued. Use of estrogen for 3 to 5 years to relieve symptoms of menopause did very little to prevent fractures from osteoporosis in women when they reached ages 75 to 80 (24, 25). These studies suggested that women who take estrogen to maintain bone density must continue taking estrogen to benefit from its effects on bone
health.
Questions and
Answers About Menopausal Hormone Use
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