Menopausal hormone replacement therapy -- either estrogen alone or a combination of estrogen and progestin -- is known to help preserve bone and prevent fractures. The drug Duavee (estrogen and bazedoxifene) is a type of HRT approved to treat menopause-related hot flashes. It may also prevent osteoporosis in high-risk women who've already tried treatment that doesn’t include estrogen.
Because of potential health risks, doctors don’t prescribe hormone replacement therapy just to prevent osteoporosis.
In women who've been on hormone replacement therapy in the past and then stopped, their bones start to thin again, at the same pace as during menopause.