Health
Should You Start Hormone Therapy Early?
Health Points
- Starting estrogen therapy during perimenopause may lower the risk of certain diseases.
- Experts warn the recent study has significant limitations and shouldn’t be taken as proof.
- Women should consult their doctors to assess personal risks and benefits.
New research suggests that beginning estrogen therapy in the years before menopause could help protect against conditions like cancer, heart attack, and stroke. The study reviewed health records of millions of women, finding those who used estrogen for at least 10 years prior to menopause had about a 60% lower risk of these diseases compared to other groups.
However, experts emphasize that the research doesn’t offer definitive proof. The women studied weren’t randomly assigned their treatments, and many factors—such as the likelihood that healthier individuals were more likely to use hormone therapy—could have affected the results.
“We must be extremely careful about drawing sweeping conclusions from an insurance claims data search. All these results could be due to what’s called ‘the healthy user effect,’” says Dr. Karen Adams, an obstetrician-gynecologist and menopause expert.
There’s also uncertainty about whether women actually took the medications as prescribed and whether other risk factors, like smoking, influenced the outcomes. Dr. Rachel Pope, the senior study author, points out that women were only followed for up to 15 years, so longer-term risks and benefits aren’t clear yet.
Doctors also note that starting hormone therapy before age 40 is generally not advised unless there’s a specific medical reason. Dr. Monica Christmas cautions against using hormone therapy for women with normal ovarian function and regular periods, since their hormone levels are likely already in the healthy range.
It is typical for women to start experiencing hormone-related symptoms several years before menopause, sometimes around age 40, but hormone therapy isn’t always the best option. Each woman’s health and symptoms are unique, so decisions about hormone therapy should be discussed individually with a healthcare provider.
If you’re considering hormone therapy, speak with your doctor about your symptoms, family history, and personal risk for health issues.