[Hormone replacement therapy: practical recommendations]

In addition to vasomotor symptoms, trophic and functional urogenital problems, postmenopause is characterized by an increased risk of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and cognitive problems. The goal of estrogen replacement therapy is to reduce these risks. Numerous therapeutic schemes are available and allow to reach a better acceptance of the treatment and, in some cases, to avoid uterine bleeding. The goal of this individual adaptation of the treatment is to obtain the best benefit/risk balance for each patient, with the best clinical tolerance, allowing to continue the treatment as long as possible. Moreover, new molecules proposed as monotherapies have been recently marketed. In this article, we will review the various modalities of hormone replacement therapy, their advantages and disadvantages, and contraindications.