Lisa Rinna Is On Hormone Replacement Therapy—Here’s What That Means
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Actress and reality TV star Lisa Rinna got candid about her intense experience with menopause and the medical treatment she underwent as a result in a new interview with Cosmopolitan.
“Everything you can go through, I was going through it. I couldn't sleep, the hot flashes, everything, and I was anxious and angry and just a mess," the 60-year-old Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum said of her menopausal symptoms.
Initially, Lisa wasn't taking any supplemental hormones to treat her symptoms because she was “really scared” about starting hormone replacement therapy (HRT). "Both my mother and my sister had had breast cancer and were very against it," she told the publication. "My mom took HRT for years and years and years, and they think her breast cancer had something to do with it. That was really terrifying because I thought, 'Well, I can't take hormones.'"
But a conversation with her doctor changed her mind, Lisa explained. "He goes, 'If you don’t go on hormones, your hair will fall out. Your skin will be dry. You won’t be able to have sex because your vagina will be so dry and you’ll be on two antidepressants by the time you’re 60 and it’ll be too late,’” she recalled. “And I was like, 'Okay, sign me up.’”
After that conversation, Lisa and her doctor were able to find the “right mix” for her, she explained, which happened to be bioidentical, or artificial hormones.
“My doctor said it was safe for me personally and was actually going to protect me from breast cancer and ovarian cancer and other things,” she added.
Now, Lisa has been doing HRT for eight years, and said she hasn't looked back. "I really think they’re helpful in so many ways," she says.
Lisa’s comments have raised a lot of questions about HRT. Here’s what you need to know.
What is hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT), which is also called “hormone therapy” and “menopausal hormone therapy,” is a medical treatment that can help relieve the symptoms of perimenopause (the stage before menopause) and menopause, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG).
There are different types of hormone therapy, per ACOG: Estrogen-only, and estrogen plus progestin. (Progestin helps reduce the risk of uterine cancer that can happen when you just take estrogen, ACOG says, noting that there’s also some evidence that progestin and estrogen may help with hot flashes.)
What are the benefits of HRT?
ACOG spells out a few potential benefits of hormone replacement therapy. It can:
Treat hot flashes and night sweats
Relieve vaginal dryness
Protect against the bone loss that happens early in menopause, and lower your risk of osteoporosis
May reduce your risk of colon cancer
Are there any associated risks with HRT?
In 2003, early results from a Women’s Health Initiative clinical trial linked the combination of estrogen and progestin with a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, dementia, and breast cancer. In fact, the link was so pronounced that the study was stopped early, and a lot of people were pretty worried about HRT as a result.
However, the findings were later debunked. In follow-up studies, researchers discovered that the original study analyzed data from women who were 65+ who already had a higher risk of developing heart attack, stroke, blood clots, dementia and breast cancer—which skewed the data. The newer studies also pointed out that the original study also didn’t look at how old these women were when they started hormone therapy, making the findings even more complicated. (Data has since shown that when you start HRT, as well as how long you take it, can make a difference in risk.)
Because of the 2003 findings, though, many doctors who aren’t well-versed in HRT are reluctant to recommend it to women.
That said, data has shown that using estrogen with a certain type of progesterone may increase the risk of breast cancer.
Here's how ACOG breaks down the risks:
Estrogen-only therapy causes the lining of the uterus to thicken, which increases the risk of endometrial cancer, but adding progestin decreases the risk.
Combined hormone therapy is linked with a small increased risk of breast cancer, which is why it’s recommended that women with a history of hormone-sensitive breast cancer try non-hormonal therapies first.
How do I know if HRT is right for me?
You don’t have to go on HRT when you go through menopause. However, scientific data shows that it can be helpful.
The best way to know if this is right for you is to have an honest conversation with your doctor—preferably your gynecologist, and one who specializes in the treatment of menopausal women. From there, you can make informed decisions together on your treatment plan.
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