Hormone Therapy for Menopausal Women in the Primary Care Setting

Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms; however, many women receive inadequate treatment because of a misunderstanding of important MHT research. Reanalysis of findings from the Women's Health Initiative, in conjunction with recent findings from the Study of Women Across the Nation and the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study, support the use of MHT in women who are < 10 years from the onset of menopause and are free of contraindications. Primary care providers are in the ideal position to provide evidence-based counseling to patients and help women make an individualized decision to use MHT safely.