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 .
Suppression of vasomotor and vulvovaginal symptoms with continuous oral 17&bgr;‐estradiol
Objectives : To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different doses of 17&bgr;‐estradiol for the treatment of vasomotor and vulvovaginal symptoms . Design : This was a r and omized , double‐blind , multicenter , parallel‐group study . One hundred forty‐five subjects , including naturally postmenopausal women aged 40‐60 ( who had not experienced menses for at least 12 months ) , women who had undergone hysterectomy , and women aged 25‐60 who had undergone bilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy were studied . Either placebo or 17&bgr;‐estradiol ( 1 mg or 0.5 mg ) was given orally every day for 12 weeks , and vasomotor symptoms and vaginal epithelial cytology were evaluated . Results : There were significant differences between placebo and the active treatments in the percentage change from baseline in the number of hot flushes ( all hot flushes , 1 mg vs. placebo , p < 0.001 ; 0.5 mg vs. placebo , p = 0.007 ) , with a more substantial proportion of subjects responding in the 1‐mg group ( mean change in mean number of hot flushes of 83.2 % ) . Both doses were also more effective than placebo in increasing the proportion of mature vaginal cells ( end‐of‐treatment mean values of 0 % , 78.5 % , and 21.5 % for parabasal , intermediate , and superficial cells , respectively , in the 1‐mg group ; mean values of 0.3 % , 80.8 % , and 18.9 % in the 0.5‐mg group ; and mean values of 15.2 % , 74.7 % , and 10.2 % in the placebo group ) . The proportion of subjects reporting no vaginal dryness was greatest in the 1‐mg group ( mean percentage of days without dryness of 86.1 % at weeks 9‐12 ) . Conclusions : For the relief of vasomotor and vulvovaginal symptoms , 17&bgr;‐estradiol 1 mg is effective and has an excellent safety profile . ( Menopause 2000;7:310‐317 . © 2000 , The North American Menopause Society .
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 .