It is clear that estrogen replacement is helpful to some women after menopause. Women with certain risk factors, however, might decide, along with their doctors, that estrogen supplements are not right for them. Women have much less estrogen after menopause because the ovaries make dramatically reduced amounts of this reproductive hormone in later life. These are just two examples of the many areas of the body that can suffer without adequate estrogen. Research has shown that estrogen supplements prescribed by a doctor can help some women avoid osteoporosis and lower their risk factors for heart disease, the number-one killer of women in the United States.
Osteoporosis can lead to severe bone fracture.
Patients who are hospitalized for a broken hip have a death rate 12 to 20 percent higher than others in their age group, due to complications. Estrogen helps prevent osteoporosis. A recent study suggests that estrogen supplements also may delay the onset of Alzheimer's disease, but more research must be done to confirm this early finding. On the other hand, some studies have raised concerns about a link between estrogen and cancer of the uterus and a possible link between estrogen and breast cancer. It appears that estrogen given to women after menopause also increases the risk of blood clots.