Menopause can usher in a host of disruptive symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and sleep problems. Hormone therapy promises relief.

But many women wonder about taking it. That’s because the treatment, subject of a recent expert panel convened by the Food and Drug Administration, has long been shrouded in uncertainty.

It was once used routinely. But in 2002, research testing one type was stopped early because of concerns about increased risks of breast cancer and blood clots. Concerns lingered even though later studies showed the benefits of today’s hormone therapies outweigh the risks for many women. 6

“There is still a lot of confusion and a lot of fear,” said Grayson Leverenz, a 50-year-old from Durham, North Carolina, who hesitated to take it but is glad she did.

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