North American Menopause Society Affirms HRT as an Effective Treatment for Menopause

Source: The North American Menopause Society

New Position Statement on Hormone Therapy

In a recent position statement, The North American Menopause Society reaffirmed that hormone therapy is an effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms and other symptoms of menopause.

The paper’s findings are good news for millions of women in search of menopause relief.  Of particular interest, the statement clarified the risk-benefit ratio of estrogen therapy (ET) versus estrogen plus progestin therapy (estrogen-synthetic progesterone, or EPT) for the treatment of menopause related symptoms and the prevention of disease.

The NAMS statement comes after years of debate and confusion surrounding hormone replacement therapy, which came under scrutiny after health studies such as the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) linked HRT use to increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease in women.

A video statement accompanying the position paper, Dr. JoAnn Manson, the current NAMS President and Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School called the findings “reassuring news for many women.”  She stressed that the key point of the statement is that hormone therapy should be individualized and that there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to hormone therapy decision making, which should depend very largely on a woman’s preferences, the severity of her symptoms, and her personal risk factor.

Menopause is a normal, natural life event that usually occurs between the ages of 40 and 55, although some women reach menopause early (before 40) due to the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries, chemotherapy or medical treatment, or other natural causes.

About The North American Menopause Society

Founded in 1989, The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the health and quality of life of all women during midlife and beyond through an understanding of menopause and healthy aging.