HRT, Bioidenticals & Menopause: Benefits & Risks

Take a wild and science-heavy ride through the world of hormone replacement therapy for women during their perimenopausal and menopausal years. Join Dr. Stephanie as she navigates the hormone maze and deciphers the difference between HRT and BHRT, all while exploring the somewhat baffling history of medical misconceptions that have left us wondering if HRT might just stand for "Hilariously Risky Treatment." Whether you're craving the full “dark roast” of scientific details or just want a "TLDR" hormone summary, we've got you covered in this episode! Links Mentioned: Women’s Health Initiative - https://www.whi.org LIVE LONGER and Feel Better By Using These HEALTHY LIVING Tips | BETTER! with Ben Bikman - https://youtu.be/-4uAlbnP7lw?si=oEMsgyXBxnwpdR-K The SCIENCE Of How Fat ACTUALLY Works! | Dr. Benjamin Bikman - https://youtu.be/L17CyhJskNw?si=SmCZGZCxG-0F1xXb CDC Breast Cancer Statistics - https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/breast/statistics/index.htm Nurse’s Health Study - https://nurseshealthstudy.org Book: Estrogen Matters - https://estrogenmatters.com Lifetime Risk of Dying From Breast Cancer: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/understanding-cancer-risk/lifetime-probability-of-developing-or-dying-from-cancer.html Lifetime Risk of Developing Breast Cancer https://www.breastcancer.org/facts-statistics Lifetime Risk of CVD Development: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/1389613 Estrogen only increases uterine cancer: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1186789/ Estrogen + Progesterone nulls uterine CA: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3747849/ Ridiculous scare tactic announcing halting of WHI: https://wayback.archive-it.org/org-350/20200921200315/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/alerts/estrogen_progestin.html Atypical Femoral Fractures https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3710007/ Reduction of risk of fractures w estrogen use: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7421945/ Estrogen reducing colorectal CA: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3836673/ Episode Overview: 0:00:00 Skepticism around hormone replacement therapy and mistreatment of women 0:05:08 Introduction to Menopause and Definition 0:07:55 Estrogen Plummets in Menopause, Symptoms and Effects 0:10:03 FSH Levels: Normal vs. Tighter Range 0:13:50 Optimal Range for Free T4 and Free T3 in Menopause 0:16:53 Estrogen and Cardiovascular Protection 0:19:31 The Benefits and Misconceptions of Estrogen 0:27:27 High Risk: Cardiovascular Disease vs Breast Cancer 0:29:12 Estrogen and Breast Cancer: A Common Misconception 0:29:36 Estrogen Environment and Breast Cancer Risk in Older Women 0:34:15 WHI Study: Nutritional and Hormone Replacement Arms 0:38:20 The Controversial Study and Rushed Press Release 0:41:31 Understanding Bioidentical Hormones 0:48:38 Calcium, Vitamin D, and Estrogen in Osteoporosis Treatment 0:52:02 The Benefits of HRT for Bone Health 1:02:10 Legal and medical disclaimer **************************** P.S. When you're ready, here are two ways Dr. Stephanie can help you: Subscribe: The Mini Pause — My weekly newsletter packed with the most actionable, evidence-based tools for women 40+ to thrive in midlife. Build Muscle: LIFT — My progressive strength training program designed for women in midlife. Form-focused, joint-friendly, and built for real results. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.