There’s been a big rumor going around for about twenty years and it’s time to put an end to it!
Just this week, one of my clients said, “I guess I’m too old to start hormone replacement.” She’s 72 and her doctor would not prescribe HRT because there’s a familial history of heart disease AND she’s 23 years post menopause. Her doctor has not done her homework.
True, oral estrogen can cause a slight increased risk for CVD but transdermal estrogen–estrogen that is bioidentical and now most often prescribed does not bring with it an increased risk. In fact, some studies show the opposite.
And true, non-bioidentical progestin (not progesterone) can also cause inflammation and an increased risk BUT again bio-identical progesterone which is readily available and covered by insurance does not carry that risk.
My client, along with a whole generation of women, have basically been denied the opportunity of receiving HRT (hormone replacement therapy) as they’ve moved through their menopause years, all because of the infamous WHI study back in 2002–more than two decades ago.
(If you’d rather watch/listen than read, please click HERE to view my YouTube video)
About 32 million women have been denied and continue to be denied the access to HRT and don’t know that it may be an option to improving quality of life.
Things like UTI’s, vaginal dryness and atrophy, painful intercourse, joint pain, osteoporosis, heart disease, cancers, frozen shoulder, plantar fasciitis, elevated cholesterol, sleep, moods, brain health, blood sugar regulation, inflammation and weight can all be improved by HRT.
Why have women been denied access? Well, once the premature results from the infamous WHI (Woman’s Health Initiative) study came out in 2002, which erroneously stated that HRT causes breast cancer, doctors have been hesitant and resistant to prescribing hormones (other than birth control pills). And women have been afraid as well.
The topic of hormone replacement therapy and the care, specifically, of post menopausal women has not been included as part of the medical school curriculum for more than twenty years, since the WHI study.
That currently affects over 65 million women in the US. That’s a lot of women who, most likely, are receiving subpar care and are seeing a decline in their health, affecting their quality of life.
It’s been a long road to changing the negative narrative and the change is still moving at a slow pace.
I think it’s important for all women to have a good understanding of the WHI study, to better understand the type of hormones used and the many flaws of the study. I can’t go into the details of the WHI study here, BUT for an in-depth summary and much more, be sure to watch my YouTube video, Pulling The Curtain Back On Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Some may argue there are not any randomized clinical studies to support putting a woman over 65 on HRT. While this may be true, there is still a LOT of data to support it.
As recent as April-2024, an observational study of 10 million women, over the age of 65, was published. The data was collected from Medicare records. This study points to estrogen reducing all cause mortality by 30%!!! That’s significant!
So what do we know for sure?
We know that estrogen receptors do not die and they reside in every organ and tissue. Estrogen receptors do kind of go dormant if not used, but they are still there and can be slowly coaxed back. They are still viable which means hormone replacement can help every tissue in a woman’s body at any age.
We know that vaginal estrogen can specifically help with UTI’s, bladder health, vaginal atrophy, and intimacy and is supported by NAMS (North American Menopause Society) and other organizations for 60 and older women. Since vaginal estrogen treatment is local and not systemic, it can be used by most women post cancer treatment.
We know that both estrogen and progesterone help keep our bones dense and strong.
Estrogen helps to make collagen. There’s collagen throughout our bodies and is part of our tendons and ligaments-so we see improvement with knees, shoulders, feet. There is published data that shows estrogen applied to the skin, in just two weeks, will see a reduction in wrinkles.
Now, we can not change time. We can’t reverse all of the damage that perhaps has occurred in a woman who hasn’t had the benefits of HRT since the beginning of her menopausal years but we sure as heck can slow things down and make a woman feel more vital, sharper, happier, sleep better, have better bone density and metabolic health, fewer AFIB and cardiovascular events no matter what age HRT is started.
In the US, only about 5-6% of postmenopausal women take HRT. The other 95%? Most of them, unfortunately, have never been offered.
Some of my older ladies have benefited greatly from the use of HRT. Their bones, urinary tract health, and brain health-cognitive benefit, not to mention pain and skin appearance all improve.
Every woman, along with her doctor, has to decide for herself whether HRT is right for her. But she needs to know there is an option to begin with! As well as the risks and benefits of HRT.
This conversation along with many others are included in theGrace In Transition Course scheduled to be launched at the end of August.
The 8 week course is full of support, real live action steps and information, and live time with me to help you transform how you move through life.
Menopause makes up about 35-50 years of your life. It’s up to you to decide how you spend it.
Please remember that anything written here is for informational purposes only. Nothing here is to replace the care or recommendations by your health care provider.