Connect
Have you been told no to hrt if you are 10+ years post menopause?
Starting hrt 10 years post menopause and the flawed Women's health initiative study.
I have been told no and yet the current findings seem to indicate that hrt can still help.
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Osteoporosis & Bone Health Support Group.
Connect
@chiefsmom I was told HRT would not improve my BMD but would keep it from getting worse.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@gravity3 - are you taking testosterone, too? Creams? Patches? Oral?
@singingbones
Testosterone/estradiol pellet, vaginal estradiol cream, progesterone caps.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@mayblin
Could you please clarify 2 things:
1. The statement that a 'low' CAC score is not an automatic stop (for hrt.) I would have thought a high CAC score would be more troublesome.
2. What is 'PFO?'
@mahonlye
Would it be possible for you to provide the medical/scienfic authority for this list of risks looked at prior to HRT approval?
I am an ovarian cancer survivor and was told over 10 years ago, when I mentioned the possibility of estrogen replacement to the oncologist who is responsible for me still being alive , absolutely not.
He moved to another state so not someone I can easily consult at present and i have never found another gynecological oncologist of similar expertise.
@rjd
@mahonlye
I’m thinking for you having a gyn cancer diagnosis is why you would be a NO for HRT. Wouldn’t your cancer be affected by estrogen?
@rjd
Any CAC score above zero indicates the presence of calcified plaque, which reflects a later stage of atherosclerosis. At the same time, a CAC of zero doesn’t guarantee there’s no plaque at all, it simply means there’s no calcified plaque; soft plaque may still be present.
I was replying to @pattiel because she mentioned her CAC score was 24. Like her, I had a small reading of 38 before considering HRT. At first, not knowing the full scope of assessment, I thought my chances of being on HRT were very slim due to having advanced atherosclerosis. But after evaluations by two cardiologists, I realized they consider many factors, including but not necessarily limited to: family history and genetic markers such as Lp(a), metabolic health, blood pressure, lipid panel (LDL-c or ApoB), CAC score and other heart conditions. All of the information is used to estimate overall cardiovascular risk, with or without HRT.
So to my understanding, neither a low nor a high CAC score is an automatic stop. A very high CAC score will certainly shift the conversation and influence the discussion to some degree. Ultimately, the score must be interpreted in the context of the complete picture of cardiac health.
@pattiel mentioned she has a patent foramen ovale (PFO). I’m not fully familiar with the specifics, but I suspect her cardiologist was considering potential increased clot risk if she uses HRT. Other conditions, like Afib, also increase clotting risk and may influence HRT decisions in some cases.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 Reactions@mahonlye , good for you! My doctor has not caught up with the new findings, so he tells me no, just take calcium and D. Sadly, another study recently came out basically saying elderly women in nursing homes that were in the study, who took calcium from supplements were most likely to have heart attacks! I have quit my calcium supplements and am trying to eat foods high in calcium. Luckily, I like kale. Going to run this past my endocrinologist, who is a woman, next month. Just curious, is your doctor male or female?