I have often given women this list of reasons to continue taking HRT, and also why they should be taken long term. I reiterate this again, just to remind you of some of the reasons you take these hormones. This article comes from Professor John Studd, The leading expert in the world on the menopause and osteoporosis. His CV is very impressive, and more information can be found on his web-site http://www.studd.co.uk

BENEFITS OF HRT

Many years ago I published a paper “10 reasons to be happy about HRT “ It can be found on my website but a brief summary is –

1. HRT will stop your hot flushes and sweats

2. HRT will stop vagina dryness and the many causes of painful intercourse and loss of libido

3. HRT increases bone density and prevents osteoporotic fractures

4. HRT protects the intervertebral discs

5. HRT does reduce the number of heart attacks

6. HRT helps depression in many women

7 HRT improves libido

8 HRT improves the texture and quality of the skin

9. ”I am a nicer person to live with “

10 HRT is safe The full text of this paper can be found can be found on my website There is perhaps another

#11 advantage to add to this list.

There is increasing evidence that HRT decreases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. This is logical because the earlier the menopausal the greater the risk of Alzheimer’s in later life but it’s difficult to prove this to everybody’s satisfaction. Certainly, population studies particularly the huge Utah study suggest a decreased risk, but the demands of precise epidemiology insist that a randomised controlled trial with the placebo group is conducted. The problem is at what age should this huge study begin – at the age of 60 ,50, 40 or even earlier and what happens to the placebo group when the patient begins to suffer hot sweats insomnia and depression. She will then move on to estrogens. The problem will never be solved by a vastly expensive and impossible study, so we have to rely on the population data that we have at the moment. It is worth remembering that when Sir Richard Doll’s observation that lung cancer was 13 times more common in smoking doctors than non-smoking doctors was criticised for the absence of a trial, he famously replied that you don’t need a randomised trial to prove the bleeding obvious.

Prof. John Studd.