Hormone replacement therapy – Current recommendations
Abstract
Menopause is a major life event that can affect women in several ways. Its onset marks the end of the reproductive life cycle, and its impact can be both short and long term. Menopause is often a gradual process, preceded by a transitional period known as perimenopause. The average age of menopause in the UK is 51. The clinical manifestations of menopause result from the eventual exhaustion of oocytes within the ovaries. This leads to a chronic hypo-estrogenic state, which in the short term causes menopausal symptoms and over a long term, has an impact on bone and cardiovascular health. There has been a steep drop in the prescription of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) following the publication of the Women's Health Initiative Study and the Million Women Study. It is currently estimated that approximately a million women in the UK are taking HRT for control of their menopausal symptoms. This review summarises the current recommendations for HRT use in menopausal women. The benefits of HRT in improving the symptoms of menopause are discussed as well as the potential role of HRT in managing long-term sequelae is covered. Evidence pertaining to the potential risks associated with HRT is also be reviewed.
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Side effects such as weight gain, diarrhea, and mood changes can affect patient wellbeing and adherence.
“Furthermore, side effects such as weight gain, diarrhea, and mood changes can affect patient wellbeing and adherence [51].”
Estrogen replacement therapy can effectively manage menopause symptoms and post-menopausal osteoporosis, but its benefits must be weighed against heightened risks of blood clots, stroke, and breast cancer, especially with long-term use.
“Although estrogen replacement therapy (or hormone replacement therapy) can effectively manage menopause symptoms and post-menopausal osteoporosis, its benefits must be weighed against the heightened risks of blood clots, stroke, and breast cancer, especially with long-term use [50, 51].”
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Stadt, M. M., & Layton, A. T. (2025) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2025.05.01.651663
“Furthermore, side effects such as weight gain, diarrhea, and mood changes can affect patient well-515 being and adherence [51].”
- Authors
- Vigneswaran, K., & Hamoda, H.
- Affiliations
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Hamoda, Haitham
- Venue
- Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2022-05
- Volume
- 81
- Pages
- 8-21
- ISSN
- 1521-6934 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4200412221
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 38 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 38
- FWCI
- 3.60
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- Locations
- Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Estrogen and related hormone effects
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Hormonal and reproductive studies
- Keywords
- hormone replacement therapy, menopause, perimenopause, menopausal symptoms, oocyte depletion, bone health, cardiovascular health, Women's Health Initiative, Million Women Study, clinical guidelines
- MeSH terms
- Female, Humans, Menopause, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, Women's Health, Hormone Replacement Therapy, Perimenopause
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