A new analysis of a controversial study has affirmed something that menopause experts have argued for a long time: the benefits of short-term hormone replacement therapy outweigh their risks for many women. This news comes at a pivotal moment when menopause is gaining widespread attention. Celebrities like Halle Berry and Gwyneth Paltrow have openly discussed their menopausal journeys, while businesses, the medical establishment, and the government are acknowledging the needs of the 75 million women in the US who are experiencing perimenopause, menopause, or are postmenopausal. This pivotal moment must be supported by solid data, as a recent AARP survey estimates that menopause costs the US about $1.8 billion in worker productivity losses and $24 billion in related healthcare.
The new study found that estrogen therapy, in addition to alleviating hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, carries little risk and might even decrease the risk of breast cancer. This is a significant revelation considering that millions of women had stopped taking estrogen due to earlier warnings about its potential to increase cancer risk. The recent results, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, are from the long-running Women’s Health Initiative, a National Institutes of Health-funded study of over 160,000 women who were given various hormone therapies and followed for up to 20 years. The initiative had caused a cancer scare in 2002 when it was reported, without consulting many of the leading scientists of the study, that hormone replacement therapy increased the risk of breast cancer. This misinformation led to numerous women discontinuing estrogen use, despite its benefits, based on a wrong assessment by the NIH.
These new findings underscore the need for a reevaluation of hormone replacement therapy. The impact of menopause on women, the economy, and healthcare is significant, as highlighted by the AARP survey. With an estimated $1.8 billion loss in worker productivity and $24 billion in healthcare costs related to menopause, it is crucial that women have access to accurate information about hormone replacement therapy to make informed decisions about their menopausal health. The latest study’s results provide a promising outlook for menopausal women and pave the way for a renaissance in hormone replacement therapy, which has the potential to positively impact women’s health and the economy.
