People going through menopause now have clearer guidance on a question that has confused patients and doctors for years. On Oct. 5, 2026, the American College of Physicians (ACP), a national organization of internal medicine doctors, recommended estrogen-based hormone therapy as the first-line treatment for hot flashes and night sweats in perimenopausal and postmenopausal patients who are seeking treatment.
Under the recommendation, people who still have a uterus would take estrogen combined with a progestogen, while those without a uterus would take estrogen alone. The guideline was published in Annals of Internal Medicine, and it gives doctors a ranked order of treatments to consider.
