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Critical Window HRT

Meaning

The Critical Window for Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is a specific period, typically defined as the first five to ten years immediately following the onset of menopause, during which initiating HRT is associated with the most favorable risk-benefit profile for cardiovascular and neurocognitive outcomes. This concept suggests that hormone therapy is most effective and safest when initiated close to the time of hormone deficiency onset, before significant, irreversible atherosclerotic or neurodegenerative changes have occurred. Clinical decisions regarding HRT initiation are often guided by this temporal consideration.