Demand for hormone replacement therapy (HRTs), used to provide relief for common menopause symptoms, is on the rise.
In part four of our series"The change we’re finally talking about," Kate Chappell dives into HRTs as a doctor says demand is surging for this once-controversial treatment option.In part four of our series “The change we’re finally talking about,” Kate Chappell dives into HRTs as a doctor says demand is surging for this once-controversial treatment option.
Demand for hormone replacement therapy , used to provide relief for common menopause symptoms, is on the rise following the FDA’s removal of a black box warning last fall.The removal follows updated science, suggesting the benefits outweigh the risks, particularly for women who take HRTs within 10 years of menopause onset.Jane Mawicke didn’t have any hesitation about starting HRTs a year ago to treat her postmenopausal symptoms. “I had anxiety for the first time in my life, which is a symptom. My body started to change, like gaining some weight, not sleeping well, getting some hot flashes,” said Mawicke.The rice-size implants deliver a constant, slow-release of hormones, but are not FDA approved. She didn’t notice much of a difference. Then, she had an irregular mammogram and stopped.Her life changed when she connected with Dr. Kristi DeSapri at her gym, after she gave a talk on menopause. “I use an estrogen gel,” said Mawicke. “I use a little bit of a testosterone cream. That, at least for me, has helped a lot with muscle tone. And then I also take a progesterone pill.” “ anxiety is reduced, happiness is higher. I had gained like some menopause weight, lost it all,” said Mawicke.that found combined hormone therapy increased risk for breast cancer, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Many of the participants in the cohort were over the age of 60, and past the age of menopause. “That got misunderstood and propagated as this huge, elevated risk, where the absolute risk was quite low,” said DeSapri, the founding physician at Bone & Body Women’s Health. “We need to share a consistent messaging hormone therapy is safe and effective. It's not for everyone. There are risk benefits, alternatives like every medicine.""We use different hormone therapy now. We use bio-identical or body similar hormones, as opposed to the synthetic," she said. “Primarily, we prescribe estradiol, which is a bio-identical or body-similar estrogen, similar to what was made in our ovaries during the reproductive years.”“You’re probably hearing, ‘hmm, I need to be seeing someone who understands these options before I just choose one or pick one out of the air,’” said DeSapri. “What I commonly see is patients say, ‘Well, my friend, you know, is taking the patch, so I think it'd be perfect for me.’ Well, it just depends.” HRTs are the most common treatment for menopause symptoms. However, some women aren’t candidates for HRTs, including those with a history of hormone dependent cancers, blood clots or heart attack and stroke. For women who aren’t candidates for HRTs, there are two, new, FDA-approved nonhormonal drug treatments, which"are called KNDy neuron or NK receptor antagonists, which help target the ‘hot flash center’ and the hypothalamus where those start,” said DeSapri. “And then they can still use local vaginal estrogen, and is also a big part of the updated label," she added.She says she now feels empowered to advocate for her health, easing the discomfort of her midlife transition.Food & Drink
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