Menopause

5.3. Effectiveness of longterm use

Broken bones and osteoporosis

Longterm HT reduces the risk that women will break bones, such as having a hip fracture. It does not matter whether it is oestrogen alone or combined oestrogen-progesterone. This is because oestrogen slows down the loss of bone that happens after the menopause, and this might delay the start of osteoporosis for some women.

Bowel or colorectal cancer

The impact of HT on bowel cancer is more complicated. Therapy with oestrogen alone does not reduce the risk of bowel cancer [35]. But women who take combined HT for more than five years during and after the menopause get bowel cancer a little less often [35]. But when bowel cancer was detected in women who have been taking combined HT, it was more advanced. That makes it more difficult to treat.

Article Navigation

• back
• Page 21 of 25
• next

© IQWiG (Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care)