What's A Woman To Do? There are lots of ways to treat menopause and ward off the diseases that accompany aging.

Byline: Claudia Kalb

No doubt you're confused about hormone-replacement therapy. And, like thousands of women who bombarded their doctors' offices and sent help! messages to Internet bulletin boards last week, you're probably wondering what to do. Sammy Stevens, 60, started Prempro seven years ago to protect herself "for the future" against heart disease, stroke, maybe even Alzheimer's. But now that future seems more muddled than ever, and Stevens has decided to quit the drug. Taking it is like playing Russian roulette, she says. As Stevens ages, she will never know if Prempro did any good--or any harm. "I think there should be clear, definitive answers, but of course there aren't," she says. "I hate these studies."

Millions of American women feel exactly the same way. Despite those very precise statistics ("seven more heart attacks per 10,000 women"), last week's announcement did not suggest any specific alternative treatments. Marcia Stefanick, chair of the Women's Health Initiative's steering committee, says the group may draw up recommendations based on the new data, but it would take at least several months. In the meantime women and their doctors are on their own. Some have decided to accept the risks and stick with hormone treatment. For the many other women who choose to stop HRT, a host of encouraging options--from diet and…