Hormone Replacement Therapy News
" In wake of HRT dangers, many worry about Pill"
April 27, 2006
In the wake of the Women’s Health Initiative, which revealed the risks of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), many women are asking about the risks and benefits of the birth control pill.
The Women’s Health Initiative study found that women who took combination estrogen-progesterone HRT were at a greater risk for blood clots, heart attacks, strokes, and more. Since birth control pills contain the same types of hormones as menopause treatment, it is no wonder women are raising concerns about the safety of the birth control pill.
With all the talk about the dangers of drugs like Wyeth’s HRT drug Prempro and hormonal birth control methods such as Ortho McNeil’s Ortho Evra, it can be difficult to know what the risks really are.
The recent report by the Women’s Health Initiative seems to add to this uncertainty. They announced that women who have had a hysterectomy prior to taking estrogen-only HRT had a reduced risk of breast cancer, compared to women taking combination-hormone HRT who did not have a hysterectomy.
This confusion also has much to do with the medical community’s calculation of the risks and benefits associated with hormonal therapy. For younger women in their 20s and 30s the small increased risk of thrombotic events posed by the Pill is trumped by the significant benefit of preventing unwanted pregnancies.
However, by the time a woman reaches menopause, the issue becomes overall wellness not birth control. With HRT, the risk-benefit question paints a more complicated picture, since menopause brings with it such a wide variance of symptoms.
Here are some basic facts about HRT and birth control:
Ø HRT and birth control contain different types of estrogen and progesterone. HRT medications like Prempro commonly contain plant-based estradiol, natural progesterones, or a mix of estrogens and progesterone called medroxyprogesterone. Birth control pills commonly contain ethinyl estradiol or synthetic progesterones like norgestimate.
Ø Birth control pills have up to five times the amount of hormones as HRT. To suppress ovulation, birth control pills must have a much higher level of hormones that HRT requires to serve its function.
Ø The heart risks of HRT and the Pill are similar, but depend largely on age and other factors. Both hormone medications can increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. Younger women using the pill are typically at low risk for heart problems; therefore, the risks are minimal. However, women with high blood pressure and those who smoke significantly increase their heart risks. The WHI showed that older women using HRT were at greater risk for heart problems. In fact, the risks of taking HRT ten years after menopause are drastically increased compared to the risks posed to women taking HRT at the onset of menopause.
Ø The Pill and HRT can increase the risk of breast cancer. Research published in The Lancet shows that women taking the birth control pill have a slight increased risk of breast cancer while taking the hormones and for the following ten years. The WHI found that women taking HRT have a higher breast cancer risk for three subsequent years. Studies have found that these hormone medications do reduce the risks of some types of cancer, however.
If you are interested in learning more about the risks and benefits of HRT or the Pill, it is vital to speak with a trusted medical professional with knowledge of these medications and your particular health history. If you have suffered harm from hormone replacement side effects, you may wish to learn more about your legal rights and options. Please contact us to learn more about HRT side effects and your legal rights.
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If you are currently taking hormone replacement therapy,
the combination of estrogen and progestin, you are advised
to contact your doctor IMMEDIATELY
for hormone replacement therapy alternatives.
For more information on hormone replacement therapy alternatives
and your legal rights, please
contact a hormone replacement therapy lawyer.
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