Ive been taking hormones to treat hot flashes for the past two years. How long is “too long?
Again, there are no good studies to tell us precisely what constitutes safe short-term use. In the past, hormone therapy of five years or less was believed to be associated with little or no risk. However, the WHI study found an increase in the incidence of blood clots and stroke during the first year of use, and a rise in the diagnosis of breast cancer after 4 years, suggesting that even the first four years of use may not be risk-free. The estrogen-only arm did not show an increased risk for breast cancer after nearly seven years, but did find similar small increases in blood clots and stroke after just one or two years’ use. Keep in mind that the risks are low. If you don’t already have a hereditary risk of blood clots, strokes, heart disease or breast cancer, you and your doctor may decide that the slightly elevated risks associated with the use of hormone therapy are perfectly acceptable to you when you factor in the relief you get from hot flashes. Again, you’ll also want to reas
