This article discusses Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) and the risk of breast cancer, strokes and heart attack.

WOMEN who take hormone replacement therapy for 10 years after menopause appear to have less chance of suffering heart problems and no increased risk of breast cancer or stroke, a new study has found.

Taking hormone replacement therapy during the menopause can reduce the risk of heart failure and heart attacks, a study has suggested.

Menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, night sweats and vaginal dryness can be managed with education, support, lifestyle changes and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) if required. HRT reduces the risk of some debilitating diseases, and short-term (less than five years) use is associated with few adverse effects.

Hormone therapy was once routinely used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect long-term health. Then large clinical trials showed health risks. What does this mean to you?

The article presents an overview of menopause and discusses the role that hormone replacement therapy has played in alleviating menopause symptoms in women. A 2011 discussion about whether hormone replacement therapy is linked to an increased risk of several disease, including stroke, heart disease and breast cancer, is presented.

Doctors and specialists are calling for hormone replacement treatments (HRT) to be more readily available for women who need them.

HRT, once a source of worry and confusion, is now considered an effective and safe treatment for many women troubled by symptoms of menopause.