If you are in the perimenopausal stage and are experiencing many of the irritating and sometimes debilitating symptoms commonly associated with this process, you may want to consider hormone replacement therapy, or HRT. However, whether or not this treatment is right for you will depend upon a number of factors. You should talk to your doctor to determine if your age, health, and family history will play a more positive or negative role in your course of treatment with HRT.

Women with a history of breast cancer or osteoporosis may want to reconsider taking replacement therapy, or they may want to further discuss their options with their doctors. Instead of HRT, they may wish to do an alternative treatment. HRT has been shown to increase the risk of cancer and blood clots, so patients with a history of heart disease will want to reconsider replacement therapy as well. The same can be said for patients with a history of stroke. Women who have not suffered from heart disease, cancer, or stroke but who have a family history of these afflictions also need to take care when discussing replacement therapy with their doctor.

Women who decide to undergo HRT should look into taking the treatment for the shortest period of time possible. Doing so may further lessen any risks associated with the therapy. As always when considering a course of treatment, you should discuss both the benefits and the risks with your doctor. If you are a smoker, for example, you will want to analyze the risks associated with HRT in conjunction with smokers, because smoking raises the risks of side effects from the therapy. Women who are overweight or obese, or have diabetes or high cholesterol may still take HRT, but they should consult with their doctors as well. These factors, as well as smoking, should be handled in a conscientious way in order to lessen any risks of side effects.

Any woman who is eligible to be treated with the therapy should schedule regular visits to her doctor to be tested for any abnormal results or side effects from the therapy.