As per the Women’s Health Initiative Study, the potential risks associated with HRT are increasing. This underscores the need for exploring alternative approaches for managing menopausal symptoms, such as Ayurveda, which takes into consideration a woman’s individual constitution and offers a holistic approach to health. With the findings from the Women’s Health Initiative Study, it becomes imperative to consider safer and more natural options for women’s health during the menopausal transition.
HRT has been a popular option for managing menopausal symptoms, with a significant percentage of postmenopausal women in the US between the ages of 50 and 74 taking hormones, as reported by Keating et al. (1999). And with baby boomers coming of age, there is an increasing number of women in the climacteric age group in the US. While HRT may be beneficial for managing hot flushes on a limited basis, as reported by Hlatky et al. (2002) and MacLennan (2002), findings on HRT from the International Position Paper on Women’s Health and Menopause and related studies have raised concerns about the potential risks associated with HRT. There are doubts about its effectiveness in preventing heart disease, severe depression, urinary incontinence, and osteoporosis-related broken bones, as well as its association with breast cancer.
The editorial section of the Journal of the American Medical Association has also raised concerns about HRT for postmenopausal women, stating that it is not a cause for celebration, as reported by Rexrode and Manson (2002). Women who take HRT for preventing age-related diseases in the absence of hot flushes may experience a decline in physical function, mental health, and energy levels, as reported by Hlatky et al. (2002). Furthermore, the increased risk of lobular breast cancer associated with recent long-term use of HRT, as reported by White (2002), and the contraindication of HRT for women with a history of heart disease, as suggested by Grodstein (2001), highlight the need for safer alternatives like Ayurvedic yoga for managing menopausal symptoms.
Ayurvedic yoga takes into consideration a woman’s individual constitution and offers a holistic approach to health, which may address menopausal symptoms in a personalized manner. Additionally, Ayurvedic yoga does not carry the potential risks associated with HRT and may provide a safer and more natural option for managing menopausal symptoms, especially for women who may have contraindications for HRT due to risk factors such as a history of heart disease.