The task force says that while HRT can help relieve menopausal symptoms. However, it can raise the risk of other health problems.
It recommended against using long-term hormone therapy to prevent chronic conditions, such as heart disease, breast cancer, and fractures.
The panel gave hormones a "Grade D," meaning there is "moderate to high certainty" that the risks outweigh long-range benefits.
Recent studies suggest that reasonable use of the the therapy to fight those symptoms can have big benefits for quality of life.
The USPSTF said evidence from the Women's Health Initiative suggests that estrogen-only hormone therapy, or a combination of estrogen and progestin has been linked to a higher risk of stroke, gallbladder disease, urinary incontinance, and blood clots.
The recommendations are similiar to those issued by the panel in 2005. Some experts had been hoping for a softening of the panel's view, in light of the recent studies.
