The Women's Health Initiative study - prematurely halted in 2002 in the name of public health and safety - dealt a surprising and powerful blow to the medical community and women taking hormone replacement therapy.

The in-depth study not only contradicted the perceived benefits of hormone replacement therapy in reducing heart disease, it actually found that using hormone replacement therapy placed women at a higher risk of heart disease, as well as breast cancer and other serious health concerns.

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For years doctors routinely recommended hormone replacement therapy to reduce the symptoms of menopause as well as to ward off heart disease. Women who otherwise would not consider taking hormone replacement therapy did so because they thought hormone replacement therapy would reduce the risk of heart disease. Many women overlooked the known risk of increased breast cancer for the sake of a healthy heart.

That all took a quick turnabout when the Women's Health Initiative halted an eight-year study just five years into the study. Researchers concluded that the risks to the test group of women on hormone replacement therapy outweighed the benefits of continuing the study.

The Women's Health Initiative trial, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, studied the relationship between hormone replacement therapy (combined estrogen and progestin) and heart disease, bone fractures, breast cancer, endometrial cancer and blood clots. The trial did not study the effect of hormone replacement therapy on menopause symptoms or other health conditions.

The study found women on hormone replacement therapy experienced a significant increased risk for breast cancer, coronary heart disease, strokes and blood clots.

• The Women's Health Initiative study found women taking hormone replacement therapy have a 29 percent higher risk for heart disease.
• The Women's Health Initiative study also found women taking hormone replacement therapy have a 26 percent higher risk for invasive breast cancer. The longer a woman stays on hormone replacement therapy, the greater her risk for breast cancer.
• The Women's Health Initiative study also found women taking hormone replacement therapy have a 41 percent increased risk of strokes and blood clots.

The Women's Health Initiative study confirms earlier studies showing an increased risk of breast cancer with hormone replacement therapy. The new study also showed that the breast cancer risk drops back to normal six months after discontinuing hormone replacement therapy, no matter how long the woman had been on hormone replacement therapy. That aspect of the study should comfort women concerned about past hormone replacement therapy usage. Although the study did show benefits to hormone replacement therapy (37 percent decrease in colon cancer and 24 percent reduction in bone fractures), researchers did not consider those benefits strong enough to outweigh the harms of hormone replacement therapy.

Hormone replacement therapy refers to the use of estrogen or a combination of estrogen and progestin medication for menopausal and postmenopausal women. Physicians typically prescribe a combination of estrogen and progestin for women who have not had a hysterectomy since the risk of endometrial cancer is too high for women who still their uterus.

Before the Women's Health Initiative findings, hormone replacement therapy was generally prescribed to relieve the symptoms of menopause (such as hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings), to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Doctors leaned on the findings of earlier observational studies that indicated that hormone replacement therapy reduced the risk of heart disease. However, these earlier observational studies were not a detailed and specific as the sophisticated Women's Health Initiative study which used a "double-blinded" method of compiling and comparing data.

With the more accurate findings refuting earlier studies, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends against the regular use of combined estrogen and progestin hormone replacement therapy for menopausal and postmenopausal women.

The portion of the Women's Heath Initiative study researching estrogen alone continues. We cannot be sure that this hormone replacement therapy regimen is safe without more definitive data. Until that time, women taking the estrogen-only hormone replacement therapy should be aware of the possibility of increased health risks.

Now What?

With hormone replacement therapy now fallen from grace, women are rethinking their decision to take hormone replacement therapy and are searching for alternative treatments more now than ever before.

Before considering hormone replacement therapy, women should question why they would consider hormone replacement and weigh the benefits and detriments of hormone replacement therapy. It is important for women to discuss hormone replacement therapy questions and concerns with their physician.

Women taking hormone replacement therapy solely for the perceived benefit of preventing heart disease should discontinue hormone replacement therapy. Hormone replacement therapy is no longer recommended for the prevention of heart disease.

The prescription for reducing the risks of heart disease remains the same as it always has; stop smoking, start exercising regularly, lose weight and watch your diet. It's the same information doctors and health care organizations across the country tell their male patients on a daily basis.

Women should consult their physician before starting a new exercise and diet regime. Women at a high risk for heart disease should also consult their physician about medications specifically targeted to reducing high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.

If osteoporosis prevention is a consideration for taking hormone replacement therapy, there are other medications and therapies that carry lower risks for breast cancer or heart disease. The risks of hormone replacement therapy are just too great.

If relieving the symptoms of menopause is the primary reason for considering hormone replacement, women should look to viable, healthful and effective alternatives to hormone replacement therapy. Whatever the reason for considering hormone replacement therapy, Return to Eden Progesterone Cream offers an excellent alternative. Return to Eden may effectively and naturally reduce menopause symptoms and allows women to experience the time of natural reproductive change with little disruption to normal life functioning.  Return to Eden USP Progesterone Cream  is an excellent product to control hot flashes and improve libido, and External-In, a fantastic anti-aging formula - effectively and naturally increases the quality of life for women in the prime of their life.

For all women, lifestyle changes go a long way in keeping bones and heart healthy while warding off cancers and reducing the symptoms of menopause. Regular weight-bearing exercise like walking or jogging is a top recommendation.

When discontinuing hormone replacement therapy, some women choose to go "cold turkey" while other women prefer a more gradual approach. Women should consult their physician as to the best method of stopping hormone replacement therapy.

Women discontinuing hormone replacement therapy can experience heavy vaginal bleeding and the recurrence of menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Using Return to Eden may alleviate those pesky hot flashes