Millions of Women Miss Menopause Hormone Therapy Over 5 Major Medical Risks
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 15
Millions of Women Miss Menopause Hormone Therapy Over 5 Major Medical Risks
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 15
Summary
Millions of women cannot use menopausal hormone therapy even as it is increasingly promoted as relief for hot flashes, brain fog and sleep problems.
5 major contraindications drive that exclusion: estrogen-fed breast cancer, endometrial cancer, certain cardiovascular conditions, severe liver disease and blood-clotting disorders.
2023 breast-cancer patient Cybele Maylone said the overwhelmingly positive messaging around HRT has left her feeling cut off from a treatment many peers describe as life-changing.
46-year-old Rebecca Hastings also cannot take HRT because a genetic mutation raises her blood-clot risk, underscoring how the menopause conversation often centers women who are eligible for the drugs.