Is Estrogen Therapy Making a Come-Back?

From the 1970s to the early 2000s, hormone replacement therapy developed a reputation as veritable fountain of youth. Millions of women entering menopause were told by their doctors that it would not only ease menopause symptoms such as hot flashes but also provide a range of other benefits, including healthier hearts. The suggestion seemed to make sense. After all, estrogen plummets after menopause and the risk of heart disease rises.

The only problem was that there was little proof of those benefits. And when randomized clinical trials—the gold standard in medical research—were finally completed in 2002, the findings punctured many assumptions and showed that the therapy even increased some health risks.

Now, however, some doctors are suggesting the tide is turning again—or at least that there are some circumstances when hormone replacement can make sense.

Here’s our advice: Read the entire article at Consumer Reports.