Subgroup analysesSubgroup analyses by dose of BHT suggested that higher doses of BHT may be associated with more effectiveness but also higher risk of adverse effects .
There was low to moderate quality evidence that BHT in various forms and doses is more effective than placebo for treating moderate to severe menopausal hot flushes .
There was some evidence to suggest that higher doses of BHT are associated with greater effectiveness but also with higher risk of adverse effects .
No data are yet available about the safety of BHT with regard to long-term outcomes such as heart attack , stroke and breast cancer .
BACKGROUND Various hormone therapies ( HT ) are available to treat  menopausal vasomotor symptoms .
Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to those produced by the human body , and several types are well-tested and available on prescription .
Many women have opted for bioidentical hormone therapy ( BHT ) on the assumption that it is safer than other forms of HT .
We evaluated the evidence .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness and safety of bioidentical hormones compared to placebo or non-bioidentical hormones for the relief of vasomotor symptoms .
Climacteric symptoms after oral and percutaneous hormone replacement therapy.
One hundred and ten ( 110 ) healthy early post-menopausal women with mild subjective vasomotor symptoms ( mean Kupperman index score 11 ) participated in a long-term , double-blind , placebo-controlled therapeutic trial . The effects of 2 hormone regimens were evaluated . Group I received percutaneous oestrogen therapy for 2 yr , opposed by oral micronized progesterone ( 200 mg ) during the second year , while Group II received oral 17 beta-oestradiol valerate together with cyproterone acetate ( CPA ) . The serum oestrogen concentrations differed markedly in the 2 treatment groups . In Group I the serum/oestrone/oestradiol ratio was 1 ( comparable to the pre-menopausal value ) , but in group II the ratio was greater than 5 . Despite the difference in the serum oestradiol and oestrone concentrations , the mean symptom scores were rapidly and similarly reduced in both treatment groups ( P less than 0.001 ) . They remained low throughout the study and were not significantly different from pre-menopausal values
Subgroup analysesSubgroup analyses by dose of BHT suggested that higher doses of BHT may be associated with more effectiveness but also higher risk of adverse effects .
There was low to moderate quality evidence that BHT in various forms and doses is more effective than placebo for treating moderate to severe menopausal hot flushes .
There was some evidence to suggest that higher doses of BHT are associated with greater effectiveness but also with higher risk of adverse effects .
No data are yet available about the safety of BHT with regard to long-term outcomes such as heart attack , stroke and breast cancer .
BACKGROUND Various hormone therapies ( HT ) are available to treat  menopausal vasomotor symptoms .
Bioidentical hormones are chemically identical to those produced by the human body , and several types are well-tested and available on prescription .
Many women have opted for bioidentical hormone therapy ( BHT ) on the assumption that it is safer than other forms of HT .
We evaluated the evidence .
OBJECTIVES To determine the effectiveness and safety of bioidentical hormones compared to placebo or non-bioidentical hormones for the relief of vasomotor symptoms .