Managing menopause in the posthormone therapy era

Prior to 2002, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was commonly prescribed not only to treat menopausal symptoms, but also to prevent certain chronic diseases.1,2 That practice has been called into question as a result of a few randomized controlled trials, including an arm of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI), which was discontinued early because of findings that the health risks of hormone use outweighed the benefits.2 Media attention on these results panicked some women who became wary of using HRT.