Start HRT early, menopausal women told

KUALA LUMPUR: Most women view the onset of menopause as the bane of their lives, no thanks to the uncomfortable symptoms that they tend to experience.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help to relieve symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances and vaginal dryness but most menopausal women in Malaysia are avoiding the treatment due to misconceptions about it.
According to Malaysia Menopause Society president Dr Ho Choon Moy, only about seven percent of menopausal women in Malaysia seek HRT, mainly due to lack of awareness of the treatment and concerns regarding its safety.
Malaysian women on HRT mostly comprise those working in the medical sector, such as doctors and nurses.
The various symptoms associated with menopause are caused by reduced levels of the hormone estrogen. Also known as estrogen replacement therapy, HRT is said to be the most effective treatment to counter these symptoms.
Globally, HRT was first made available in the 1940s but it was only in the 1960s that it became more popular.
Ho, who is a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology and attached to a private hospital, here, said the general perception that HRT can cause breast cancer was not true as studies have shown that 80% of breast cancers in postmenopausal women occur in women who have never undergone hormone therapy.
At any rate, she added, a woman's risk of developing breast cancer doubled after the age of 50, whether or not she was undergoing HRT.
"However, I can assure that it is easier to diagnose cancer in women who are on HRT as they have to go for frequent medical check-ups. Early detection of cancer means early treatment," she told Bernama in an interview, here recently.
Advising women to go on HRT within five years of the onset of menopause, Ho said starting the treatment early could help prevent the development of debilitating conditions like osteoporosis and vaginal diseases in the later years of their lives.
"HRT actually adds more quality into a woman's life," said the 60-year-old specialist, who is also on HRT.
There will also be no side effects if HRT is carried out within five years after menopause sets in.
Undergoing HRT more than five years after reaching menopause can increase a woman's risk of developing breast cancer, cautioned Ho.
"Most women come to see me at age 65 hoping to get HRT, but I tell them it is already too late. Taking HRT much later after menopause is not advisable as it may lead to a lot or health problems."
Asked if it was easy to shed the misconceptions about HRT, Ho admitted that it remained difficult to convince Malaysian women about the benefits of the estrogen replacement treatment.
"Little do they realise that they will be dealing with menopause for many years and how important it is for them to take care of their well-being at that stage of their lives," she said.
Cost-wise, private hospitals charge about RM50 to RM100 a month for the most minimum HRT treatment. Women can also seek HRT at the special clinics for menopausal women at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and University Malaya Medical Centre.
Ho also advised women with a history of cancer and heart disease to refrain from HRT as it could potentially harm their health.
"They should, instead, take health supplements like calcium and vitamin D to sustain them in their menopausal years," she said.
Women undergoing HRT are required to go for a medical examination every month during the initial stage of the treatment; later on, check-ups can be done once every six months and eventually, once a year. — Bernama