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 .
Effects of estrogen therapy on well-being in postmenopausal women without vasomotor complaints.
OBJECTIVE To establish whether estrogen treatment affects well-being in postmenopausal women without current or previous vasomotor symptoms . DESIGN Forty postmenopausal women , aged 45 - 59 years , without current or previous vasomotor complaints , were included . They were r and omized to masked treatment with either transdermal 17beta-estradiol 50 microg/24 h or to placebo . At baseline and after 12 and 14 weeks of treatment , the women completed a question naire which reflects well-being , the Psychological General Well-Being ( PGWB ) Index . RESULTS The women scored high on the PGWB Index , both at baseline and after 12 and 14 weeks of treatment . There was no significant difference in well-being according to PGWB Index between the groups treated with estrogen and placebo , neither at baseline , nor after therapy . Furthermore , there was no difference in change during therapy between the treatment groups . CONCLUSION There is a gradual decline in estrogen during the climacteric , and it is controversial to which extent this affects women 's mental health . The PGWB scores in this study were high before therapy , reflecting that these women without previous or current vasomotor complaints represented a selected sample . Neither short-term estrogen treatment over 12 weeks nor addition with medroxyprogesterone acetate during 2 weeks improved well-being in postmenopausal women without vasomotor symptoms who had high well-being at baseline
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 .