The number of Swedish women receiving hormone treatment for menopause symptoms has doubled over the past ten years, according to new data from Socialstyrelsen. In 2025, nearly 380,000 women over 45 years old were treated with hormones for estrogen deficiency, a significant increase from a decade ago.
The treatment, which addresses menopausal symptoms, has been controversial due to earlier studies showing increased health risks. However, those studies were conducted on women older than those who typically receive the treatment, making the results misleading according to current medical understanding.
You could say that an entire generation didn't get the treatment
Angelica Lindén Hirschberg, a gynecologist and professor at Karolinska Institutet, attributes the doubling of treatment numbers to increased knowledge about the therapy. "You could say that an entire generation didn't get the treatment," she stated. According to Hirschberg, when hormone treatment begins close to the time of a woman's last menstrual period, it provides significant benefits that in most cases outweigh the risks.
Research indicates that early treatment can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, though long-term treatment may increase breast cancer risk. The data shows a clear shift in medical practice as understanding of menopause treatment has evolved.