[Estrogen, hormonal therapy and Aging].

Recent data suggests that a "window of opportunity" to decrease the risk of mortality and coronary heart disease (CHD) exists, when initiation hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in menopausal women aged of 50 to 59 years, or within the 10 years following the onset of menopause. The risks of HRT are rare, especially in young postmenopausal women with symptoms who use HRT for long periods of time, and have lower rates of mortality and CHD than comparable postmenopausal women who do not use HRT Newer evidence suggests that there are distinct differences between synthetic molecules and estradiol ; the physiological hormone may be preferable especially from a non-oral delivery system as thrombosis risk is the lowest with such therapy. In addition, natural progesterone does not reverse the benefits of estrogen, particularly in the nervous system and the vessels, and seems to be neutral on breast cancer risk. HRT must be individualized and tailored according to symptoms and each woman's individual risk profile, her preferences and expectations.