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Menopause

Menopause

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Birth Control Methods

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Hormonal Control of the Ovarian Cycle

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 28, 2026

An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause

An In Vivo Estrogen Deficiency Mouse Model for Screening Exogenous Estrogen Treatments of Cardiovascular Dysfunction After Menopause

Published on: August 13, 2019

Alternative treatments for the menopause.

Margaret Rees¹

¹Women's Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK. margaret.rees@obs-gyn.ox.ac.uk

Best Practice & Research. Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology

|November 18, 2008

Summary

Women are seeking alternative therapies for menopause due to safety concerns with hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, evidence supporting these alternatives is weak, with no standardized trial criteria for safety or efficacy.

Area of Science:

Menopause management
Alternative and complementary therapies
Pharmacology

Background:

Post-publication safety concerns regarding oestrogen-based hormone replacement therapy (HRT) have led women to explore alternative options.
Many women mistakenly believe alternative therapies are safer and more 'natural' than conventional treatments.
There's a lack of standardized international criteria for evaluating the safety and efficacy of alternative therapies, unlike conventional medicines.

Purpose of the Study:

To critically evaluate the evidence for alternative and complementary therapies used for menopausal symptom management.
To compare the efficacy and safety of alternative therapies against conventional pharmacopoeia.
To discuss the limitations in clinical trial design and evaluation for alternative therapies.

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Main Methods:

Review of randomized trials and existing literature on various alternative therapies.
Examination of evidence for botanicals, homeopathy, steroids, supplements, dietary changes, and physical interventions.
Analysis of conventional pharmacopoeia including clonidine, SSRIs, and progestogens.

Main Results:

Evidence from randomized trials supporting alternative therapies for menopausal symptoms is generally poor.
Significant limitations exist in the design, sample size, and duration of studies on alternative therapies.
The wide variety of preparations makes direct comparison and robust evaluation challenging.

Conclusions:

The perceived safety and efficacy of alternative therapies for menopause are not well-supported by robust scientific evidence.
Standardized clinical trial criteria are needed for alternative therapies to ensure reliable safety and treatment evaluations.
Conventional pharmacopoeia remains a primary treatment option, with ongoing examination of their risks and benefits.