Women face an increased risk of broken bones in the years after stopping menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), according to a new study.

Menopause generally occurs at around 51 years of age for women in Australia, signalling the end of menstrual cycles and often accompanied by challenging symptoms such as mood swings and night sweats.

The associated decline in hormone levels also elevates the risk of heart disease and osteoporosis.

Conjoint Professor John Eden from the University of New South Wales noted that, “Typically, women lose about 1 per cent of their bone density annually, but for some, it can reach 3 to 4 per cent, potentially leading to severe hip fractures.”

MHT is often prescribed to mitigate these effects.

New research analyzing 25 years of patient data suggests that the risk of bone fractures becomes notably higher for many women within three years of stopping MHT, in contrast to women who have never undergone the therapy.

“There was a trend a few years ago of giving bone drugs to women around menopause and they have their own side-effects and MHT is a safer option for these women,” Eden said.

Experts say long-standing concerns about MHT and breast cancer risk are exaggerated.

“We know that MHT does not cause breast cancer, it may make an existing breast cancer appear a little bit sooner,” Eden said.