Many people believe that by taking Hormone Replacement Therapy you will increase your chances of developing breast cancer. This is a highly controversial issue in medicine today. Many studies show no increase risk, yet conversely some studies show an increased risk of between thirty and fifty percent with long term (eight to ten year) use of estrogen. If the worst case is true, you could increase your chances of developing breast cancer by thirty to fifty percent. However, by taking Hormone Replacement Therapy you lower your chances of heart disease and hip fracture by fifty percent.

You could try to figure out what your personal risk is using your family history and current health status. If, based on family history, you have a high risk of breast cancer and a low risk of heart disease and hip fracture, perhaps you should not be taking estrogen. However, if you have a high risks of heart disease, based on your blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. and a low risk of breast cancer than estrogen may play a role in increasing your life expectancy.

Hormone Replacement Therapy can make some blood diseases worse, causing blood clots to form. Hormone Replacement Therapy will not cause these diseases. If you have a problem with blood clots, you should discuss with your health care provider.

Varicose veins do NOT result from blood clots. They have no relation to blood clots and are usually an inherited disorder. Varicose veins are not related to Hormone Replacement Therapy.

High blood pressure contributes to heart disease. If you have high blood pressure you probably should be on Hormone Replacement Therapy. High doses of estrogen can make blood pressure worse. If you are on Hormone Replacement Therapy or are thinking about it, a dose of 1 mg. of estrogen should be sufficient. If you need a higher dose, than any blood pressure changes should be evaluated and considered.

Estrogen taken by mouth (in pill form) can increase the chance of you developing gallbladder disease. This problem can be overcome by using an estrogen patch.