yes, I believe those breast cancer statistics are correct but keep in mind that those statistics were extracted from the WHI study which used oral estrogen so risks might be even lower with transdermal. We really don't know. I don't have the statistics handy on CVD risks but my understanding is that risks are highest in the first year of use and then moderate. My mother had heart disease and ultimately, multiple strokes so I was really concerned about my CVD risks. I've had pretty extensive testing to evaluate my current state and for now, my risk appears to be low. My cholesterol has always been quite high but I've always refused statins preferring to modulate as best I could through diet and exercise. Due to my supposed genetic predisposition, I wanted to get a better picture of my personal risk before going on HRT and I did that by getting a more in depth cholesterol panel and having a high resolution CT angiogram. My calcium score was zero meaning no arterial plaque detected. I tested my LPa level which is a genetic marker. Mine was thankfully very low so no inherent genetic risk. You do that test once in your lifetime and you have the information you need to assess. I also had my oxidized LDL and APOB tested. Both are a bit high but in combination with the rest of my test results, I feel comfortable enough to continue on with my diet, exercise and HRT regimen.

In my experience, conventional doctors don't really monitor your risks. You kind of have to figure out your personal risks on your own, evaluate whether HRT is right for you and then advocate with your doctor. Annually, I request a full panel of bone marker tests and bloodwork from my endo. I'm just not sure he would be as thorough if I didn't request these tests. I think he'd just go by my dexa and prescribe fosamax. But once I ask, he's willing to do it and then we go over it together to figure out if I am actively losing bone and what my plan should be moving forward (which for him, always includes a conventional osteo pharmaceutical). As patients, we need to figure out our own bodies, risks and tolerances. In the 15 minutes our doctors spend with us, they do a quick eval and then prescribe the basics.

I do not use prometrium as it contains peanut oil and artificial dyes which I don't think are particularly healthy. I get micronized progesterone from a compounded pharmacy. It is bioidentical, clean and reasonably priced. Prometrium is available from your local pharmacy and a less expensive alternative so some may prefer this option but for me, I'd rather have something that is pure.

I went on HRT a few months after concluding my Forteo treatment. I found it hard to navigate the system so it took a little longer than optimal to get that going.