There is no simple answer to this question. Menopause is caused by a decrease in estrogen produced by a woman's ovaries.
Some women are prescribed medication that contains only estrogen.
Others take estrogen combined with a second hormone, called progestin. The latest research indicates that HRT may have important heart benefits for women after menopause. This was true for both HRT with estrogen alone or in combination with progestin. Further, HRT slowed the bone loss that occurs with menopause and significantly increased bone mass. These effects on bone were strongest among older women and those who had not recently used hormones.