HRT and Clotting Risks

Can hormone replacement therapy really improve your quality of life during menopause - and what are the risks?

- DR SRIRAM NARAYANAN, Senior Consultant Vascular Surgeon at The Harley Street Heart and Vascular Centre, shares his views.

The arrival of menopause is both a normal consequence of ageing and a time of great physical, emotional and mental health challenges for a woman. And it isn’t just about a few hot flushes. Fatigue, weight gain, loss of bone strength, a waning libido, depression and inability to focus on tasks severely affect many women who otherwise feel ready to live their lives to the full.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with combinations of oestrogen and progesterone hormones can be life changing for these women. Its use is rising rapidly, and enthusiasts promote it as the panacea to all the ills of being middle-aged. But while its benefits are undoubtedly great, HRT is not risk-free.

Hormone replacement therapy and clots – the risk is small, but real