The answer is no. Estrogen replacement therapy doesn't stop or delay menopause. Menopause is a natural process that women go through, not a condition that you can “cure.” So, even if you use HRT to help with menopause symptoms, you're still technically in menopause.
Taking HRT does not just delay the inevitable menopause symptoms. When HRT is stopped symptoms do not necessarily return. Some women do experience troublesome symptoms after stopping HRT - these symptoms would likely have been present (but masked by HRT) all the time they were taking HRT.
I'm also asked, "What are the signs that the menopause is finally over?" Usually, it's just a case of you start to feel better. Your symptoms have eased off or stopped. You're more like you, or you feel better. You're sleeping better.
In addition to increasing longevity, hormone replacement therapy can help to address many of the changes we experience as we grow older. Estrogen therapy is associated with healthier and younger-looking skin in women.
"Some women may think their HRT isn't working anymore, but it's doing what it has always been doing," says Currie. "It's just that the total amount of oestrogen in your system may be less. That's quite a common reason for recurrence of menopausal symptoms and you may need to up your dose of HRT."
However, most women who are otherwise fit and well do still gain benefits from taking HRT even if it has been more than 10 years since their menopause. You may decide to start HRT now because your symptoms have worsened, or you were expecting them to have gone by now but they haven't.
There is no specific age cut-off for starting HRT.
There's no limit on how long you can take HRT, but talk to a GP about how long they recommend you take the treatment. Most women stop taking it once their menopausal symptoms pass, which is usually after a few years.
Answer. Hormone therapy can be extremely beneficial for bone health purposes for women up to the age of 60 years, and in some circumstances women may continue hormone therapy after this age, depending on their general health, family history and bone density / history of fracture.
Contrary to popular assumptions, most women experience no changes in weight as the result of undergoing HRT. A systematic review of 22 high-quality randomized clinical trials concluded that there was no significant difference in weight between menopausal women who were treated with HRT and those who were not.
HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself.
Combined HRT can be associated with a small increase in the risk of breast cancer. The increased risk is related to how long you take HRT, and it falls after you stop taking it. Because of the risk of breast cancer, it's especially important to attend all your breast cancer screening appointments if you're taking HRT.
Many women believe that taking HRT will make them put on weight, but there's no evidence to support this claim. You may gain some weight during the menopause, but this often happens regardless of whether you take HRT. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet should help you to lose any unwanted weight.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
There is good news for older women age who are experiencing menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. You can safely get relief with hormone therapy (HT), according to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).
For most women, if starting HRT before the age of 60, the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks. In women starting HRT when aged between 60 – 70 years, the benefits equal the risks. Starting HRT after the age of 60 does not lower the risk of heart disease but it is not thought that it increases it either.
So the best practice guidelines currently state that the ideal time to start HRT is within 10 years of the initiation of menopause, or under the age of 60.
However, a Mayo Clinic study found that many women experience hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, mood changes and other menopause symptoms beyond mid-life and into their 60s, 70s and even their 80s.
Late Stage. The late stages of perimenopause usually occur when a woman is in her late 40s or early 50s. In the late stages of the menopausal transition, women begin missing periods until they finally stop. About 6 months before menopause, estrogen levels drop significantly.
"Postmenopausal women often eat as many calories as when they were younger, as they have long-standing habits that are harder to break," says Julie Upton, M.S., RD, C.S.S.D. "If post-menopausal women cut back on calories and up the intensity of their exercise, they lose weight and tone up, just like younger women.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been shown to increase epidermal hydration, skin elasticity, skin thickness (Sator et al 2001), and also reduces skin wrinkles (Phillips et al 2001). Furthermore, the content and quality of collagen and the level of vascularization is enhanced (Brincat et al 1987).
The results of very many accurate scientific studies show that HRT does not increase weight gain. What we do know is that HRT can reverse menopausal changes meaning that weight is held around the hips and thighs again.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Thus, HRT may effectively treat fatigue and the symptoms that can exacerbate it. In particular, estrogen replacement is considered the most effective treatment for the vasomotor symptoms that tend to occur in concert with fatigue and can be instrumental in restoring energy levels.