"HRT causes cancer." "HRT saved my life." Here are the actual numbers: what hormone therapy is, what it helps, what the 2002 Women's Health Initiative trial really found after 18 years, the remaining risks per 1,000 and per 10,000 women, why patches and pills differ for blood clots, and what "bioidentical" means.

Free 2-minute stage check: https://perimenostage.com/hrt/benefits-risks?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=audio&utm_campaign=ep04_hrt

Chapters

0:00 Intro

0:26 What HRT is

1:02 What it helps

1:41 The 2002 headline

2:27 The risks, in real numbers

3:26 Choosing the type

4:10 The first three months

4:41 When to talk it through

5:05 Wrap-up

Sources

• Hot flashes about 75% less frequent on estrogen; low-dose vaginal estrogen improves symptom severity by 60–80%: JAMA review 2023, PubMed 36749328

• Sleep problems, low mood and anxiety with menopause; fracture risk on HRT: NICE guideline NG23

• Spine bone density −7.38% in the 3 years around the final period: SWAN, PubMed 21976317

• All-cause mortality 27.1% vs 27.6% after 18 years, WHI trials, 27,347 women: PubMed 28898378

• +12 / −19 serious events per 10,000 women a year at ages 50–59: WHI, PubMed 24084921

• Breast cancer, about 5 extra cases per 1,000 women on combined HRT for 5 years: NHS, HRT risks

• Blood clots, odds 1.58 for tablets vs 0.93 for patches, gels and sprays: UK case-control study, PubMed 30626577

• Benefits generally outweigh risks under 60 or within 10 years of the last period: The Menopause Society 2022, PubMed 35797481

• 86% of women didn't know compounded hormones aren't FDA-approved: US survey, PubMed 25692877

• Side effects in the first months: NHS, HRT side effects

For information only, not a substitute for advice from your own doctor. Pain or swelling in one leg, a new breast lump or bleeding beyond 6 months on HRT: get checked. Chest pain or sudden breathlessness: call 911.