Custom-compounded hormones have been gaining favor ever since a large government-funded  study  known as the Women's Health Initiative linked the long-term use of conventional hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke and breast cancer. These hormones are often prescribed as transdermal creams and are made from plant-derived hormones that are biochemically identical to those produced by the body.

      The CHOIICE Study (Compounded Bioidentical  Hormone Replacement Therapy and Outcomes: Immune,  Inflammatory and Cardiovascular Effects) was conducted by Kenna Stephenson, MD, of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler and was presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2008. This study, which was also posted on WebMD, found that "Natural" or Bioidentical compounded hormone creams may help to relieve hot flashes, night sweats, depression and other  symptoms of menopause, as well as improving heart health. The 12-month study  involved 150 perimenopausal and postmenopausal women 30 to 70. Half were given  conventional hormone pills (birth control pills for younger women and Prempro or Premarin for the menopausal women. The other half received a cream that contained a  customized blend of some combination of estrogen, progesterone, and the androgens testosterone and DHEA. Within a year, women who were taking compounded hormones reported "significantly less depression, anxiety and pain. They had fewer hot flashes and night sweats. Blood  pressure and  triglyceride levels fell. Levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) and other  markers of harmful inflammation in the arteries that can lead to blood clots dropped as well. In contrast, conventional hormone pills have been shown to raise triglyceride and CRP levels" says Nieca Goldberg, MD, an American Heart Association  spokeswoman and heart  specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.*

The study concluded that "transdermal estradiol and  progesterone demonstrate statistically significant favorable effects on mood, quality of life, and biomarkers for cardiovascular disease in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women."**

* www.webmd.com/menopause/news/20081112/hormone-creams-ease-menopause-symptoms

 ** Circulation Journal of the American Heart Association Vol 115, No 8