Assignment: Hormone Replacement Therapy Evidence-Based Information And The Advantages And Disadvantages Associated With Hrt

Assignment: Hormone Replacement Therapy Evidence-Based Information And The Advantages And Disadvantages Associated With Hrt

The mean age that women reach is about 51 years. About 95% of women across the world reach menopause between the ages of 45 years old to 55 years. Most women reach menopause naturally while others go through surgical interventions. Nonetheless, all the women in menopause will experience its side effects due to reduced estrogen levels in their body. Research shows that studies concerning cancer and hormonal balance have reached a different level. For instance, it has been proven that the estrogen that women are taking nowadays is considered to be “bio-identical” to what the ovaries produce naturally, and thus approved by the FDA (Lobo, 2017). However, hormonal replacement therapy is associated with risks of developing breast cancer, which is low (Brinton et al., 2018). Nevertheless, hormone replacement therapy is also associated with several advantages such as the reduced risk of heart disease or stroke, prevention of bone loss, and reduced menopausal symptoms guaranteeing these women better sleep and improved quality of life.

Recommendations on whether to Continue Or Discontinue Ms. Martin on HRT

Ms. Martine should discontinue hormone replacement therapy. However, for her to continue with the therapy, the regiment should be a combination of both estrogen and progestin. Women with an intact uterus, just like Ms. Martin. need progestin as part of the HRT to protect the endometrium of her uterus from malignancy or hyperplasia (Sullivan et al., 2018). Additionally, the patient has been on hormone replacement therapy for about four years, while the recommended duration is a maximum of 5 years. Consequently, the patient has a family history of breast cancer, which puts her at significant risk if she goes on with the therapy. Previous studies show that some women usually experience the vasomotor symptoms of menopause for 7.4 years on average, while it might persist in others for even more than ten years. For such women, it is recommended that they use nonhormonal therapy before restarting on hormonal-based therapy.

Alternative Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms

Several treatment options are available for the menopausal symptoms experienced by Ms. Martin. For instance, cognitive behavioral therapy inclusive of hypnosis has shown beneficial outcomes in the management of disturbed sleep and hot flashes. Consequently, the mind-body approach can be used to reduce stress among other menopausal symptoms. For obese or overweight women, eating a healthy diet full of soy-based products and frequent exercise can help reduce the symptoms (Lobo, 2017). Soy-based foods are beneficial in reducing hot flashes. Soy contains high concentrations of daidzein, which transform to equol in the intestine. Equol is responsible for duplicating the effect of estrogen in the body upon binging to the estrogen receptors. Lastly, pharmacological agents which are non-hormonal such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors have been approved by the FDA to be used in the management of hot flashes (Lobo, 2017).