Hormone therapy is used for various health issues, including menopause complications and certain types of cancer. Its best use is the treatment for a variety of menopausal symptoms, including vaginal dryness, hot flashes, and night sweats. It functions by re-establishing the body's natural levels of hormones, usually but not always estrogen, which tend to decline with age and are frequently the cause of many menopausal symptoms.
Depending on a person's needs, hormone treatments for menopause may use progesterone, estrogen, or even testosterone. There is much disagreement over which forms of hormone therapy are safe and which are not, as well as the potential health effects of long-term hormone usage on your heart and insulin. Below is more detailed information about hormone therapy.
Hormone therapy works by targeting hormones throughout the body. The methods used in different forms of hormone therapy vary. Hormone therapy can:
In cancer treatment, hormone therapy is used to halt or slow the growth of cancer. Its effects on menopause symptoms, although proven, are still being thoroughly studied.
Hormone treatment involves taking medication containing female hormones to replace the estrogen that the body stops producing during menopause. Common symptoms treated include hot flashes and vaginal soreness. Hormone therapy can also reduce fractures and prevent bone loss in postmenopausal women.
Aromatase inhibitors (AIs) like letrozole, exemestane, and anastrozole, as well as selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) such as tamoxifen and raloxifene, are commonly used in hormone therapy for breast cancer. LHRH agonists like triptorelin, leuprolide, and goserelin are also used.
Hormone therapy for endometrial cancer may involve SERMs like tamoxifen and raloxifene, or progestins like medroxyprogesterone acetate or megestrol acetate.
Adrenolytics such as mitotane, SERMs like tamoxifen and raloxifene, and estrogen receptor antagonists like fulvestrant and toremifene are used in hormone therapy for adrenal cancer.
The main goal of hormone treatment is to replenish the estrogen your body no longer produces after menopause. Estrogen treatment comes in two primary forms:
Estrogen is often combined with progesterone or progestin if the patient hasn't had their uterus removed to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer.
Estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ are expressed by endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. Studies suggest that polymorphisms in ERα are linked to coronary heart disease in people with familial hypercholesterolemia. Hormone therapy can influence cardiovascular health, and its impact is still being studied.
Studies indicate that hormone therapy improves insulin sensitivity in postmenopausal women, which could lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This effect could be protective for women as they age.
Hormone therapy may have adverse effects depending on the type of treatment and the patient's general health. Common side effects include: