Recent Blog Articles

New Harvard tool helps fact-check cancer claims

Hand pain from arthritis? This may help

Polio: What parents need to know now

Ketamine for treatment-resistant depression: When and where is it safe?

Have lupus? What to know about birth control

Screening at home for memory loss: Should you try it?

Travel tummy troubles: Here’s how to prevent or soothe them

Easy, delicious summer veggie meals will help stretch your food budget

Tracking viruses: The best clues may be in the sewer

Promising therapy if PSA rises after prostate cancer surgery
Women's Health
Are bioidentical hormones superior to hormone medications?
- By Toni Golen, MD, Contributor, and
- Hope Ricciotti, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch
Ask the doctors
Q. I recently heard a friend say she was taking bioidentical hormones to treat menopausal symptoms. What are they, and are they better than taking traditional hormone therapy medication?
A. The North American Menopause Society and other organizations have warned that there are risks related to using bioidenticals, which are defined by the Endocrine Society as "compounds that have the same chemical and molecular structure as hormones that are produced in the human body." Bioidenticals are often prepared at compounding pharmacies and sometimes used as alternatives to synthetic hormones like Premarin (conjugated equine estrogens) and Prempro (conjugated equine estrogens plus medroxyprogesterone acetate). While advertisers may claim that these bioidentical hormones are "natural" alternatives to hormone medications, the truth is that the two are often very similar — but bioidenticals may come with less quality assurance. Many FDA-approved hormone therapies also meet the description of a bioidentical (although they’re not usually advertised this way). In some cases, they are actually made using the same ingredients as bioidentical hormones. There’s little evidence that bioidenticals are superior to FDA-approved hormone medications, and in fact, bioidenticals may be riskier, because they aren’t scrutinized or tested by the FDA to verify dose and purity.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
You might also be interested in…

A Guide to Women's Health: Fifty and forward
Midlife can be a woman’s halftime celebration. Not only can it be an opportunity to reflect on and rejoice in the life you’ve lived, but it is also a good time to plan your strategy for the future. A Guide to Women's Health: Fifty and forward will help you determine the conditions for which you are at greatest risk and do your best to avoid them. It will also help you to better manage chronic conditions that may erode your quality of life, and to deal with physical changes that are more bothersome than serious. It is designed to give you the information to make the choices today that will ensure you the best health possible tomorrow.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!