What Do You Know About Hormone Replacement Therapy? Don’t Sweat It – You’re Not Alone!

ANSWER KEY

1. Estrogen levels start to decline years before menopause officially begins.
[A] True, estrogen levels can decline in the perimenopausal stage.1

2. What is the average age of menopause onset?
[B] 52, according to The North American Menopause Society.2 Most women reach menopause between the ages of 40 and 55, but menopause may occur as earlier as ages 30s or 40s, or may not occur until a woman reaches her 60s. 2

3. How many menopausal women experience hot flashes?
[C] Up to 75%, according to The North American Menopause Society.2

4. Hot flashes can last for up to 10 years?
[A] True, Hot flashes can last for 10 years, according to The North American Menopause Society.2

5. HRT can help alleviate menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
[A] True, Hormone replacement therapy effectively helps relieve both hot flashes and night sweats, according to the North American Menopause Society (NAMS).3

6. HRT can be delivered through which methods?
[F] All of the above, HRT is available in a variety of forms!

7. How often do physicians discuss menopause, the potential symptoms and HRT therapy?
[C] Physicians often don’t mention menopause to their patients unless the patient brings it up, and even then, symptoms are often dismissed.

8. Compounded hormone therapy (CHT), where a pharmacist creates custom hormone therapies for women, is more “natural” than FDA approved HRT you can get from your physician?
[B] False, while CHT is customized for each individual patient, dosing is not regulated by the FDA which in turn creates uncertainty for the patient as you’re not always sure what you’re putting in your body.1 There are FDA-approved treatments available that provide bioidentical estrogen hormone therapy, which means it mimics the natural hormones your body was already producing.

9. Compounded hormone therapies are approved by the FDA?
[B] False, Compounded hormone therapy (CHT) is not regulated by the FDA. 2

As always, it’s most important to talk openly with your doctor about your menopausal symptoms to determine which treatment option is best for you.

References:

1. The North American Menopause Society.  Changes in hormone levels. http://www.menopause.org/for-women/sexual-health-menopause-online/changes-at-midlife/changes-in-hormone-levels. Accessed Jan. 25, 2018.

2. The North American Menopause Society.  The Menopause Guidebook. 8th ed. Mayfield Heights, OH: The North American Menopause Society; 2015.

3. The North American Menopause Society.  Hormone Therapy Benefits and Risks.  https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopauseflashes/menopause-symptoms-and-treatments/hormone-therapy-benefits-risks.  Accessed Jan. 18, 2018.

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