There has been conflicting research and advice on the safety of hormones with the increasing aging of the female population over the past twenty years (National Institute on Aging). Hormone therapy has been shown to be the most effective FDA-approved medication for relieving menopausal symptoms, but these benefits must be weighed against the serious side effects that hormones can cause. Although many women respond differently to hormonal products, MHT is universally associated with an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack, blood clots, and stroke. Concerns about the results found in clinical and observational trials of MHT have left some doctors and women hesitant to use MHT to combat menopausal symptoms. Menopause, also known as “the change,” is a normal stage in the life cycle of aging women. . During menopause, a woman's body slowly produces less of the two female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen promotes normal development of the female breast and uterus, controls the ovulation cycle and affects women's physical and emotional health, while progesterone controls menstruation and prepares the lining of the uterus to receive the fertilized egg. During perimenopause, the years before full menopause begins, estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate as the ovaries begin to shrink in an attempt to maintain hormone production. Perimenopause lasts several years. During this stage of menopause, women experience irregular menstrual cycles associated with unpredictable episodes of heavy bleeding. Menopause is marked by the cessation of the menstrual cycle for twelve consecutive months. The timing of natural menopause varies from woman to woman, but there are risks. How WHI results apply to other types, forms, and doses of estrogen, progesterone, or progestin is unknown. Menopausal hormone replacement therapy, once thought to prevent heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer, while improving women's quality of life, has now been confirmed to pose serious risks and increase the threat to develop various health problems with long-term use. For many people suffering from menopausal symptoms, the palliative benefits of hormonal products outweigh the risks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) currently advises women to use menopausal hormones conservatively for the shortest possible duration and at the lowest possible dose to control symptoms. Concurrent FDA-regulated studies are underway to determine the safety and effectiveness of alternatives in treating menopausal symptoms without hormonal products. (USDHH)