06/15/2026
Women have been using hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for years to help ease menopause symptoms and lower their risk of menopause-linked conditions like osteoporosis, heart disease and dementia. However, I warn female patients with a personal or family history of heart disease or a hormone-dependent cancer to avoid HRT. As a result, some of these women try supplements, but that might not be the best alternative.
In 1942, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals introduced the first hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women going through menopause. Over the intervening decades, doctors have gone back and forth on the safety and efficacy of using HRT to treat symptoms like hot flashes and vaginal discomfort.