The landscape of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) can be a difficult one to navigate. Prescribing practices have significantly fluctuated over decades. It was estimated that up to 40% of postmenopausal women were on hormone replacement therapy in the 1990s. Since the Women’s Health Initiative data came out in 2002 cautioning about risks of menopausal hormone therapy, prescribing of it dropped precipitously. Even though the media attention and physician education on this topic has significantly increased in the last few years, only 5% of postmenopausal women are on menopausal hormone therapy.
Is hormone therapy safe for me? When is it best to start, and to end? What are the benefits, risks and alternatives I need to assess? On today’s episode of BOJANA MD, Dr. Bojana is speaking with Dr. Suzanne Fenske, the founder of TārāMD, to dive deeper into MHT prescribing and lab testing, the roles of DHEA and testosterone, and the general framework we use when assessing which types of menopausal hormone therapy and alternative therapies may be most suitable for our patients in perimenopause and menopause. Every medical intervention has inherent risks associated with taking it and risks of not taking it. In each individual case, we need to assess this risk as best as we can, and with consideration of benefits, guidelines, research, symptoms, patient goals and shared decision making, come up with a personal plan for each patient.
Dr. Fenske is a double board-certified gynecologist and integrative medicine physician and applies her broad medical expertise to treat a range of complex conditions, including perimenopause, menopause, hormone imbalances, endometriosis, pelvic pain, and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), using a functional approach.
Learn More About Dr. Suzanne Fenske: https://www.taramd.com