What is menopausal hormone therapy?

A working definition

Menopausal hormone therapy uses prescription estrogen, with a progestogen when a uterus is present, to treat bothersome menopause symptoms and, in selected people, to help prevent osteoporosis. Public search still calls this HRT. FDA-approved products have labelled indications, boxed warnings, and monitoring expectations.

Why the Women's Health Initiative still matters

The Women's Health Initiative is the large US trial that reshaped hormone therapy counselling. Later guideline statements, including The Menopause Society's 2022 position statement, place more weight on age and time since menopause for people with bothersome vasomotor symptoms. Those are population findings. They are not a green light for unregulated compounded pellets marketed as "bioidentical."

Beema is not an HRT clinic

We published this explainer so HRT searches are not funneled into a fake product. If your question is about GLP-1 medicines for weight loss, use the weight-loss learn hub. If your question is about menopause hormones, see a clinician who prescribes them. Beema's live care is medical weight-loss.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. [1] The Menopause Society. 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement.
2. [2] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Menopause: medicines to help you.
3. [3] National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Women's Health Initiative.