The International Menopause Society has updated its recommendations on hormone replacement therapy and says it is safe for most women going through menopause.
The updated recommendations were released at the 13th World Congress on Menopause in Rome on June 10 simultaneously with publication in Climacteric. (June 2011;14:302-320).
The new evaluation of evidence confirms that treatment needs to be tailored to the individual woman, but that most going through menopause need have few worries about safety and most who suffer from menopausal symptoms will benefit from taking HRT.
It says risks associated with HRT are small, but tend to increase as a woman gets older. It says women taking combined HRT (estrogen and progesterone) to help them go through the menopause have slightly increased risks of breast cancer.
HRT is also associated with a higher risk of stroke in women over 60. It suggests women who wish to take HRT but who may be at increased risk of stroke might consider transdermal HRT, which does not seem to increase the risk of stroke.Australasian Menopause Society spokeswoman and acting president Dr Christine Read said:
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