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 .
Progestogens: therapeutic and adverse effects in early post-menopausal women.
Progestogen treatment is associated with a number of subjective symptoms . In the present study , 148 healthy post-menopausal women suffering from mild climacteric symptoms were r and omly allocated to 12 weeks of treatment with ( a ) 2 mg oestradiol valerate combined with cyproterone acetate , medroxyprogesterone acetate or levonorgestrel ; ( b ) 1.5 mg 17 beta-oestradiol combined with desogestrel ; or ( c ) placebo .  Climacteric symptoms , Kupperman index scores and potential adverse progestogen effects were recorded before treatment and three times per month during therapy . All the hormone regimens had a rapid effect , reducing the severity of climacteric symptoms to about 30 % of the baseline values ( P less than 0.001 ) within one month . Hot flushes were reduced in severity and /or frequency by 76 100 % within 3 months ( P less than 0.001 ) . The regimens which included hydroxyprogesterone derivatives produced a transient increase in breast tenderness . Other recorded potential adverse progestogen effects showed no significant changes during the study . We concluded that the addition of progestogens ( whether 19-nortestosterone or hydroxyprogesterone derivatives ) does not produce significant side effects during combined hormone replacement therapy
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 .