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What are menopausal hormones and why are they used?
Menopausal hormone use (sometimes referred to as hormone replacement therapy or postmenopausal hormone use) usually involves treatment with either
estrogen alone or estrogen in combination with progesterone or
progestin, a synthetic hormone with effects similar to those of progesterone.
Estrogen usage, with or without progestin, approximately doubles the estrogen level of a menopausal woman; however, even with hormone treatment, the estrogen and progesterone levels do not reach the natural levels of a premenopausal woman.
Doctors may recommend using hormones to counter some of the problems often associated with menopause (hot flashes, night sweats, sleeplessness, and vaginal dryness) or to prevent some long-term conditions that are more common in postmenopausal women, such as
osteoporosis. Data from a 1997 national survey showed that 45 percent of U.S. women born between 1897 and 1950 used menopausal hormones for at least 1 month, and 20 percent continued use for 5 or more years
(1).
Questions and
Answers About Menopausal Hormone Use
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