Does hormone replacement therapy benefit post-menopausal women? – a scoping review

Post-menopausal women experience symptoms such as irregular periods, lower fertility, vaginal dryness, hot flashes and night sweats. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) relieves menopausal symptoms. The aim of this review was to assess the benefits and risks of HRT in post-menopausal women. A scoping review was conducted for original peer-reviewed English language papers using the electronic databases of PUB MED, JAMA, BMC and TRIP. The papers were subjected to a three-stage screening process. The type of study, year of study, age, participants, type of therapy and the aim of the study defined the inclusion and exclusion criteria. HRT was associated with reduced risk and prevalence of end-stage kidney disease, gastric esophageal reflex disease (GORD) symptoms, periodontal disease and associated with the increased risk of overall cancers. The benefits of HRT depend on the duration of therapy, formulation, route of administration, time of initiating therapy (age <60 years) and type of therapy. Post-menopausal symptomatic women mostly benefited with hormone replacement therapy. To reduce risks of adverse events, HRT should be initiated with appropriate monitoring.