Hormone Therapy for Osteoporosis
Menopausal hormone therapy (previously referred to as hormone replacement therapy or HRT) has been shown to prevent bone loss, increase bone density, and prevent bone fractures. It is useful in preventing osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Estrogen is available orally (Premarin, Estrace, Estratest, and others) or as a skin patch (Estraderm, Vivelle, and others).
Estrogen is also available in combination with progesterone as pills and patches. Progesterone is routinely given along with estrogen to prevent uterine cancer that might result from estrogen use alone. Women who have had a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus) may take estrogen alone. Nasally delivered estrogen and lower-dose combination pills of estrogen and progesterone are also being studied. However, due to adverse effects of menopausal hormone therapy, such as increased risks of heart attack, stroke, blood clots in the veins, and breast cancer; menopausal hormone therapy is no longer recommended for long-term use in the therapy of osteoporosis. Rather, menopausal hormone therapy is used short-term to relieve menopausal hot flashes.
Weight loss and bone loss can sometimes go hand in hand. Doctors know that women with anorexia, who severely restrict calories for a long time, are at increased risk for osteoporosis. The eating disorder interferes with hormones needed to maintain bone, not to mention the foods people need to build bone. But what if you don’t have anorexia? What’s the relationship between osteoporosis and normal dieting? How do you know if you’re at risk for bone loss? What kind of dieting is safe for your bones? Those...
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Every woman needs to have an individualized discussion regarding estrogen replacement with her doctor because each woman will have a different balance of risk and benefit expected from hormone therapy. For more, please read the Hormone Therapy article.
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