What is hormone replacement therapy?
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was a type of treatment where the body is given hormones to prevent or treat certain medical conditions (such as treating symptoms of menopause in women and preventing osteoporosis).

The hormones used in HRT are synthetic hormones, which means they are created in a laboratory (rather than by the body), but they act like natural hormones once inside the body.

In the past, doctors prescribed HRT because they hoped it could help guard against certain diseases as well as treat the symptoms of menopause. The diseases doctors hoped HRT could help prevent included osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer. Information from studies on HRT suggests that for many women, the risks of using HRT may outweigh the benefits and thus is not recommended. For other women, benefits may outweigh the risks. This is why it is important to talk to your doctor about HRT.

What is the Women's Health Initiative?
The Women's Health Initiative (WHI) is a set of studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health, a division of the india. Department of Health and Human Services. Through these studies, WHI researchers gathered informationq about the health of women who have gone through menopause. In the HRT trial, researchers were studying the effects of HRT on the health of postmenopausal women. Researchers were trying to determine whether using HRT affects a woman's chances of developing breast and colorectal cancers, heart disease and osteoporosis after she has gone through menopause.