There has been conflicting research and opinions on the safety of hormones as the aging female population has increased over the past twenty years (National Institute on Aging). Hormone therapy has been shown to be the most effective FDA-approved drug in relieving menopause symptoms, but these benefits must be weighed against the serious adverse effects that hormones can cause. Although many women differ in their response to hormone products, MHT has been universally linked to an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack, blood clots, and stroke. Concerns about the results discovered in clinical and observational studies conducted on MHT have left some doctors and women hesitant to use MHT to combat menopause symptoms. Menopause, also known as "the change" is a normal phase in the life cycle of aging women. . During menopause, a woman's body slowly produces less of the two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen promotes the normal development of a woman's breasts and uterus, controls the ovulation cycle, and affects a woman's physical and emotional health, while progesterone controls menstruation and prepares the lining of the uterus to receive the fertilized egg. During perimenopause, the years leading up to the onset of full menopause, estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate as the ovaries begin to shrink in an attempt to maintain hormone production. Perimenopause lasts several years. During this stage of menopause, women experience irregular menstrual cycles in conjunction with unpredictable episodes of heavy bleeding. Menopause is marked by the cessation of the menstrual cycle for twelve consecutive months. Natural menopause varies in timing from woman to woman, but like...... middle of paper......, tt (nd). Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Menopause and Cancer - National Cancer Institute. Complete Cancer Information - National Cancer Institute. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/menopausal-hormones/printMenopause Treatments. (n.d.). RightHealth: Quality health information organized for you. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.righthealth.com/topic/Menopause/TreatmentsNational Institute on Aging. (n.d.). National Institute on Aging. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.nia.nih.govPhytotherapeutic Treatments for Menopause-Related Symptoms. (2011, June 22). Australian Journal of Medical Herbalism, 1, 12-21. United States Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved September 19, 2011, from http://www.hhs.gov
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