When prescribing hormones for menopausal patients, we want to ensure we are providing the lowest risk options while also achieving the desired treatment outcomes. This cautiousness around hormone therapy stems largely from the original results of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) which concluded in 2004 that the risks outweighed the benefits. However, the conventional medical perspective on hormone therapy has been evolving, especially as new evidence and data emerge.
Reanalysis of the WHI between 2008 and 2019 found that hormone therapy in the early postmenopausal years actually decreased coronary disease and all-cause mortality, and that estrogen monotherapy decreased breast cancer risk. The WHI only looked at oral conjugated estrogens and medroxyprogesterone acetate, so its findings cannot inform about other types of hormones.
This question has been answered by the results of the recently published May 2024 largescale observational study on hormone safety in 10 million postmenopausal women, illuminating the risks versus benefits of different hormone formulations and modes of delivery. This data can help providers and their patients make informed decisions about hormone supplementation.
Testing urinary hormones and metabolites can help identify patterns of metabolism and hormone detoxification associated with higher risk of hormone-driven cancers. Join Dr. Heather Hydzik as she helps you synthesize the most current research and the most up-to-date testing methods to individualize therapy for menopausal patients to elevate their quality of life and longevity.
