Expert opinion by the Italian Society of Gynecology of the Third Age (SIGiTE) and the Italian Society of Menopause (SIM) on hormone therapy with bioidentical hormones

Abstract

The publication of the study WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) represented a critical moment for the management of menopause considering the alarming results about breast cancer and cardiovascular risks. Anyway, several further studies progressively clarified over time the effective clinical impact of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) among post-menopausal women if adequately started before the age of sixty and no more than ten years after the last menstrual cycle and properly customized according to the major international recommendations. Robust evidence exists on different approved bioidentical HRT (abHRT) but data about galenic composed bioidentical hormone therapy (cbHRT) remain poor. The purpose of this expert opinion is to elucidate the position on Hormone Therapy with Bioidentical Hormones of the major Italian societies dealing with menopause, that is the Italian Society of Gynecology of the Third Age (SIGiTE) and the Italian Society of Menopause (SIM), in order to aware physicians about the suitability of their use.