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[KarineT]

Will all women who cannot or won't take HRT automatically have a heart attack be plagued by osteoporosis or develop dementia?  Well, some of you on this forum seem to think so.  I would like to point out that, if you do not or cannot supplement your body with manufactured hormones there are other things you can do to help protect your health such as a good diet, exercise and, perhaps, taking food supplements. I don't consider HRT as the only think, although some of you think it's a lifesaver.  Those who are not taking it don't have more risk of developping the above diseases.  If this was the case every single woman who is not on HRT would either have a heart attack, dementia or osteoporosis. I get the impression that every woman who's not on HRT will automatically get any of the above diseases, as implied on this forum, but this is simply not true because everybody's different.

[Sheri]

I don't think every woman who doesn't take HRT will get osteoporosis, dementia or heart disease. I already have osteoporosis but as i said in a different post, its not related to low estrogen.
I believe HRT might & can help to ward off these illnesses but agree, diet, exercise & bloody good luck also helps.
First thing my gynae said to me was HRT will help my osteoporosis, so I'm hopeful he is right.
I'm simply trying HRT to help with my anxiety & brain fog. Anxiety seems calmer & my brain fog has almost gone but i still worry HRT will give me breast cancer or a stroke.
If i could, i would stop HRT but atm the benefits for me are outweighing the pros but never once did i start it to watd off dementia or heart disease. It never actually crossed my mind it did that.

[Katherine]

In terms of the osteoporosis, a gp recently told my partner that women lose half of their bone mass at menopause. So it is encouraging to me to know that taking oestrogen helps with that issue. In terms of the heart disease and dementia, I understand that there are many risk factors for both, one being low estrogen, so again HRT is said to lower the overall risk.

From what I have read, it seems to be a very complex issue whereby HRT can be seen as one tool amongst many that can be used to reduce particular health risks.

As I understand it, sleep, exercise, diet, supplements, etc all have a big part to play but they can’t address the hormone deficiency itself. I’ve only recently started researching this but that’s my understanding so far.

[ATB]

Who implied this? Why are you attacking the forum? Where was this said? What a strange post. I don’t think anyone has said any such thing.

[Nellie Noo]

Er … yes … its been a lifesaver for me ! And i dont hesitate to say this either. Not for everyone but .. we all appreciate this . This forum is called menopause matters . Not hrt matters
what a strange post …

[Aprilflower]

I always understood that it was diet, in childhood and teenage years, that affected osteoporosis. 

Also the proportion of women who take HRT, to those that don't, is small.  That would mean that most women would be suffering these problems, which they don't.

[Taz2]

Hi Aprilflower these are the causes of osteoporosis. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteoporosis/causes/.

I don't have the statistics as to how many women have heart disease etc post meno. For me HRT is about my quality of life and if I'd been lucky enough to have an easy meno I probably wouldn't even have known about the possible health risks in my later years. It's good to know your options though.I was never going to use HRT not realising what an impact menopause could have!

Taz x

[Aprilflower]

Thanks for the link.

According to that I'm not at risk of osteoporosis and I know of no family members, past or present, who have had it.

As for heart disease, there are so many risk factors including generics and life style. 

[ATB]

You are at risk as a woman if your estrogen and/or testosterone levels fall, as they do during perimenopause and menopause, according to that link & a wealth of science on the subject.

[Taz2]

Thanks for the link.

According to that I'm not at risk of osteoporosis and I know of no family members, past or present, who have had it.

I just meant that a drop in oestrogen, as happens when during menopause, is recognised as a risk factor for osteoporosis for all women. Unless you have a way of avoiding the loss of oestrogen it would seem to say that you are at risk? Not genetically of course but it's good to have this knowledge and then make informed decisions as to how to avoid it.

Taz 

[Aprilflower]

Thanks, but as I said, my family history indicates the risk is small.

I'm 66, and apart from being a little overweight, healthy.  I'm not on any prescribed medication, including HRT.

[ATB]

Being informed and then making your own assessment, with the help of your doctor, is really important. It is also important to look at the facts carefully and to make sure you understand them and don’t repeat anything inaccurate. The genetic link is real, but it’s modest. It increases your overall risk if it’s in your family, but those that don’t have that link don’t have no risk. That’s not what the evidence says at all. All women are at greater risk after their sex hormone levels drop. That’s not about genetic links, it applies to all women. Not exercising regularly is also a risk factor, which is why even when I don’t feel like it or struggled with perimenopause I made exercise a non-negotiable part of my life.

Anyone who is truly curious can get a DEXA scan. I’d say that’s particularly important for those not replacing the hormones you are definitely losing.

[Tora]

I very much class HRT as my life saver. I no longer want to die because I can’t cope with the anxiety, depression, insomnia, brain fog, muscle aches, joint aches, forgetfulness, feeling worthless that stopped me working, being a parent, socialising, working out, recognising myself. I am without symptoms and happy being back to me!

Agree that diet and exercise are crucial. The rest of the post doesn’t make sense to me.

OP sounds angry. Boxing workouts might help.

[Sheri]

Tora, I'm glad to hear HRT had worked so well for you. Its helped my brain fog & gently eased my anxiety but I'm new to it so still hopeful 🙏

[Floradora]

It is certainly not inevitable that all who don’t take HRT will end up with these diseases, I don’t think I have seen anyone on here implying such. However, I think it is all about assessing one’s own risk factors for these known diseases and choosing how to best mitigate those health risks be it by modifying lifestyle factors or using prescription medications including HRT. Osteoporosis is one disease where the enormous wealth of scientific research shows that by far the biggest risk factor is loss of estrogen. No amount of calcium supplements, weight bearing exercise etc has anything like the beneficial effect on bones as estrogen. I have many of the risk factors for osteoporosis. Some, like family history, I can do nothing about. Replacement of estrogen is something I can do something about so I choose to do so. I have no intention of suffering the crippling pain and debilitating effects of crumbling bones that my female elderly relatives had. I see taking HRT to reduce my risk of developing serious disease as just another tool in my arsenal of tricks to keep myself as healthy and active as possible as I age. In the same way that I don’t smoke, rarely drink and keep to my target weight. So no, of course not everyone will end up with these diseases, but there is now sound scientific evidence showing that estrogen replacement reduces the risk of developing many of them therefore I choose to reduce that risk x