If HRT protects later health in most women, why aren’t we all offered it, regardless of symptoms?

[Fullyhuman]

I’ve no unbearable symptoms as yet, in early menopause, and am learning about HRT, but am confused by this. Why would only women with symptoms need their later health protecting (heart disease, osteoporosis)?

Just to add that some women who have had oestrogen receptive breast cancer can take HRT, I am one of them and whilst it isn’t the cure all I hoped for my surgical menopause symptoms it’s a great start.

@JinglingHellsBells I'm trying to remain pleasant and open-minded. You are just aggressive and won't consider any other views than yours.

I praise and warn against HRT. I encourage people to try it as much as I point out to the risks.

You on the other hand never ever acknowledge the risks. You defend it with some odd loyalty. I've never read a post from you saying 'maybe HRT is not the right treatment for you'. Instead you insist that they should try another one, and yet another and become defensive if the poster says that it doesn't work for them and they believe in an alternative treatment for them.

I'm as happy to encourage women to try it, to say that it's wonderful treatment for many women, but sadly not for others and that yes, there is an increase risk of breast cancer.

So yes, I consider my posts much more balanced than yours.

@JinglingHellsBells

There are some really odd comments here. No facts or figures to back them up.

meds
The biggest portions of the NHS budget are spent on drugs for chronic conditions. These are CVD, diabetes (£Billions) and drugs for arthritis and osteoporosis.

All of this are preventable in women, or reduced risk, with HRT.

The cost of HRT is tiny.
Drug companies make practically nothing from HRT. This is also why they don't fund research into HRT on the whole, because unlike something like the common cold, or heart disease, there is not a lot of money to be made from producing new hormonal treatments for women over 50. The current use of HRT is 10-15% of women.

some of the biggest and most profitable companies are those selling vitamins and supplements. Many of them touted as remedies for menopause yet research shows most are ineffective.

The women who are being medicated are the thousands being given antidepressants, wrongly, when they ought to have estrogen. This is a scandal ,and if you want to appreciate the problem do some googling. NICE has, thankfully, told GPs to stop using ADs as a first line treatment for peri and meno women, but too many women are addicted to them or can't find a dr to offer better alternatives.

Good point - my mates not on hrt are buying loads of evening primrose oil and black cohosh

If something had changed your life immeasurably, wouldn't you be evangelical about it?

Not me. Being pushy evangelical is a personality trait.

I find it curious someone heard "evangelical" label as female suppression. This guy is very evangelical. Does he look like a feminist to you (clue, he isn't one). Being evangelical is not a gender- or sex-linked trait.

What a weird post above - why are you on this thread?

@yeOldeTrout

If something had changed your life immeasurably, wouldn't you be evangelical about it?

Not me. Being pushy evangelical is a personality trait.

I find it curious someone heard "evangelical" label as female suppression. This guy is very evangelical. Does he look like a feminist to you (clue, he isn't one). Being evangelical is not a gender- or sex-linked trait.

Well, you were the one to use the term evangelical in your initial post, not me. Maybe you should have chosen your words more carefully, particularly as you're now taking me to task for using a word you used in the first instance.

Either way, as far as HRT is concerned, I have well and truly seen the light. (Well, bio-identical HRT!)

I loved my hrt, made me human again. Until I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Don’t know if it caused it but the treatment made me forget about my menopausal symptoms rather quickly.

One size does not fir all op!

I haven't had time to read the new posts but I noticed someone had stated that HRT does not contain steroids .
Seriously ? What nonsense . It's a simple fact .
Oestrogen and progesterone are steroids .
Look it up if you don't believe me .

I'm sorry Anti I hadn't read your post .

I hope you keep well

@JinglingHellsBells I just want to say thank you. There are some very strange posts on this thread and I appreciate your views, for linking to science and current medical guidelines.
This really helps those of us for whom HRT is needed, and for whom HRT can genuinely make a difference to quality of life.

I've just read the thread and was shocked to notice that it was hellsbells who stated that oestrogen is not a steroid .
After all these years promoting HRT, you weren't aware of such a basic fact ?

You then said that it was not a steroid in the way ' I implied '....
I implied nothing. I stated a fact .
I was replying to your attempt to say that HRT was not medication .

And as for your assertion that drug companies don't make much from HRT and aren't really interested . Laughable .

www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/hormone-replacement-therapy-market

@dizzyandbusy, what do you understand by the term “steroid”? Do you know how hormones / steroid hormones function? I’m a biomedical scientist and I’m curious to understand your fear of HRT.

Camakan

I am not afraid of HRT. What an assumption to make.

Hellsbells stated that oestrogen was not a steroid . Are you also saying that it is not a steroid ?

I’m just wondering what your concern is about the word “steroid”? Oestrogen is a form of steroid hormone. However, many biological molecules are, we can even include vitamin D in the definition.

Please re read the thread .

This came up when hellsbellls was trying to argue that HRT ' wasn't really' medication.

I simply said that HRT was a ' hormonal ( steroid) medication' .

Hellsbells later replied to me directly and stated that oestrogen was not a steroid .

I was shocked that it was this particular poster who didn't know such a basic fact about HRT as I know that she posts very regularly encouraging the use of HRT

@dizzyandbusy that’s why I’m trying to find out what you understand by “steroid”.
Taken out of context, the word “steroid” could be understood to have negative implications, eg, 1980s anabolic steroids 😂 which are a world away from the replacement hormones used in HRT.
Current HRT protocols merely involve replacing women’s natural hormones. For those of us who desperately suffer in perimenopause / menopause, replacing these natural hormones with HRT can be life changing.
Let’s try not to play with words out of context.

@Newgirls

Kitkat you are talking rubbish.

If people are worried about breast cancer they should 1. stop drinking alcohol 2. reduce weight to ‘normal’ bmi. Yet hrt gets all the clicks 🤷‍♀️

Oh god your so right. Both direct links to breast cancer

It was not taken out of context . It was stated as I set out below .
Hellsbells replied to me stating that oestrogen was not a steroid

@Merely' ' naturally' now who

Sorry - 'merely 'and ' naturally ' now who is playing with words

@CamMakan

I took nothing out of context . I merely stated the fact that oestrogen is a steroid . Hellsbells chose to 'correct ' me and stated that oestrogen is not a steroid .
She was wrong .
You say you are a scientist and yet you say I'm ' playing with words' when I say oestrogen is a steroid .
How strange

@dizzyandbusy I have asked this a few times but to no avail: I would really love to know your concern about steroids. Do you feel the same about all hormones? Do other biological signalling molecules cause any concern for you?

I can only suggest to others reading this thread, perhaps because they are suffering from perimenopause or menopause symptoms, to seek guidance and help from qualified (preferably specialised) medical practitioners.

And I have stated several times that I was simply stating a fact

The ' concern ' re mentioning the HRT contains steroidis all yours.
What is the problem ?

Dizzy your comments are so personal and a bit ragey. I think we know your view and it would be great to stick to the ops question?!

[quote CamMakan]**@dizzyandbusy I have asked this a few times but to no avail: I would really love to know your concern about steroids. Do you feel the same about all hormones? Do other biological signalling molecules cause any concern for you?

I can only suggest to others reading this thread, perhaps because they are suffering from perimenopause or menopause symptoms, to seek guidance and help from qualified (preferably specialised) medical practitioners.[/quote]
@CamMakan I agree with you 100%.

In purely scientific terms estrogen is a steroid. However, posting that is completely irrelevant to the discussion and the question asked by the OP.

Millions of people use steroids in the form of creams for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. Is that an issue for @dizzyandbusy?

Or are insulin and thyroxine an issue for people who need those?

@dizzyandbusy I would be very grateful if you would stop your line of posting where you say I 'encourage' women to use HRT. I've posted here for years and get loads of PMs and 'thank you' from women appreciating my posts. I don't post for that reason.

I have posted medical guidance. In brief, that is
The BMS says that for women up to 60, HRT's benefits outweigh the risks.

The risk of breast cancer (may) be 0.01% above an already existing lifetime risk of 1:8 ( and that depends on the type of HRT. Many research papers on Utrogestan show no increase and even a decrease compared to the non-HRT population.)

I doubt you have read the BMS or the IMS statements.

If you want to, here it is.

thebms.org.uk/publications/consensus-statements/bms-whcs-2020-recommendations-on-hormone-replacement-therapy-in-menopausal-women/