Do hormones cause more risks than benefits? It depends on when a woman initiates them. Most menopause experts believe that taking them at the time of menopause carries more benefit. So why do doctors not encourage women to take them? It is because of a major study, the WHI, a study whose findings are being inappropriately applied. This post gives a brief review of the WHI and why it should not continue to be the basis for HRT recommendations.
Tag: HRT
Does Estrogen Affect the Coronavirus?
The Coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us. We wake up every morning and hear the latest grim statistics and deleterious effect this disease is having on our healthcare system, economy, and, well, just about every aspect of modern life. Each day we learn more […]
Estrogen in the News
Are we finally starting to see renewed interest in menopause and hormone management? I think so. In the October issue of O Magazine, Oprah wrote an essay about the fact that she started on estrogen at the time of menopause (and is still taking it) […]
My book, The Estrogen Question, is finished and available for purchase!
Hello everyone. I have not been active in posting new blogs recently because my attention has been focused on finalizing my book on estrogen therapy. After two and a half years of research, writing, and re-writing, it is now available for purchase as a paperback […]
Will testosterone (or anything else) help my sex drive?
This is an issue many women are reluctant to bring up during their annual physicals. Even though I am a woman physician, I don’t get asked this question much. Many women are embarrassed to talk about this intimate part of their lives, and in this […]
Does estrogen cause weight gain?
You’re not alone if at some point near your 50th birthday you encounter that moment while trying on pants in the fitting room that you say to yourself: “Either they are making waistlines much smaller, or somehow mine is bigger.” And then you reluctantly accept […]
Does estrogen cause heart problems?
Has your doctor told you that taking estrogen could cause a heart attack? This is one of the reasons hormone treatment fell out of favor back in 2002 when a landmark study, called the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative), published its findings. Newspapers across the world […]
What is progesterone and how safe is it?
When we talk about female hormones, we immediately think of estrogen and frequently don’t give much attention to the other major hormone involved in the female reproductive system – progesterone. Progesterone is like the little sister of estrogen. It compliments and does a lot of […]
Does estrogen cause breast cancer?
Many people believe that estrogen causes breast cancer. They’ve heard this from their friends, or have read it in women’s magazines, or their doctors may even have told them that taking estrogen will increase their risk of breast cancer. And, if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer, the first thing […]
Does estrogen help my bones?
You may think of your bones as the solid, dried-out sticks that your dog loves to chew on. But bones are actually a living, breathing organ just like all of our other body parts. Within the external shell of each bone are millions of tiny […]