People tend to talk about HRT as a black-and-white, either-or question, but it's a bit more complicated than that. The two key hormones, estrogen and progesterone, can be taken orally or as creams or patches. And you can take one or both, and in different dosages. Then there's the hot topic of bioidentical hormones, given enormous attention by Oprah and other gurus. So you have a lot to consider.
Solution: At the point you're considering hormones, make sure you have a really good doctor and have a thorough discussion. The two risks you want to discuss in depth: cancer -- breast, ovarian, and other types -- and heart disease. If your family history puts you at risk for breast or ovarian cancer, most experts would say HRT is out for you. It would up your risk, and you don't want to take that chance. If you have any risk factors for stroke, HRT is similarly inadvisable, as HRT can increase your stroke risk by as much as 60 percent.
However, even here there are major differences based on estrogen-only versus combination therapy, and bioidentical therapy versus synthetic hormones. So every case has to be considered individually; talk to your doctor and make sure that, whatever choice you make, your health is closely monitored.
