Research has shown that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can effectively control symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, insomnia, vaginal dryness and frequent urinary tract infections. For years, physicians have been prescribing bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) for women who have experienced problems or have other concerns about the use of synthetic hormones. The current benefits v. risks debate has been appropriately summarized by George R. Gillson, MD, PhD, and David T. Zarva, PhD in “A Perspective on HRT for Women...” published in the Int'l Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding. “There is a lot of evidence supporting BHRT [Bio-identical HRT], but no big trials [as manufacturers fund trials of synthetic hormones, but not bio-identical hormones, which can not be patented]... Regarding BHRT and conventional HRT (conjugated estrogen/progestin), each practitioner has to consider all of the evidence and decide whether the small trials show benefits [of BHRT] outweigh the large trials [involving synthetic conjugated estrogen/progestins] that conclusively demonstrate harm, since there is no longer any clear standard of care.”

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