Menopause & HormonesThe short version
Estrogen HRT Out of Stock? Ask About the Replacement Plan
Have a doctor or pharmacist clarify your exact replacement rather than choosing a substitute yourself.
ArticlesTopic 09
Menopause & Hormones
Hot flashes, night sweats and the body that suddenly changed the rules.
Menopause & HormonesComparison
Estrogen Pill or Patch? What Studies Show About Blood Clot Risk
Hormone therapy pills have been linked to a higher risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs. Large studies found that estrogen through the skin, as a patch or gel, wasn't linked to that extra risk. Here is what the research shows and what to ask when choosing a form.
Menopause & HormonesGuide
How to Find a Menopause Specialist: What the MSCP Credential Means
If your symptoms are being brushed off, a clinician with menopause training can help. The Menopause Society runs a directory of members and certified practitioners. Here is what the credential means, what it doesn't, and what to ask before booking.
Menopause & HormonesEvidence check
Frequent Hot Flashes and Heart Risk: What Two Large Studies Found
Hot flashes may be more than a nuisance. In a 22-year U.S. study, women with frequent or long-lasting hot flashes had a higher rate of later heart attacks and strokes, and a large imaging study linked severe hot flashes with plaque in the heart arteries. That makes them a reason to check your heart health, not a reason to panic.
Menopause & HormonesEvidence check
Frozen Shoulder in Your 50s: What a 2025 Guideline Says About Treatments
Frozen shoulder most often strikes women between 45 and 60, peaking around 56, and the link with menopause is suspected but unproven. A 2025 British guideline found steroid injections help short term, hydrodilatation beats physiotherapy alone in the short to medium term, and manipulation under anesthesia is a reasonable option.
Menopause & HormonesEvidence check
Heavy Lifting for Bones After Menopause? What the LIFTMOR Trial Found
Women with low bone density are often told to stick to light weights. In the LIFTMOR trial, supervised high-intensity lifting and jumping twice a week for 8 months improved spine and hip bone density, posture height and strength in postmenopausal women, with only one minor back spasm reported. Supervision was key.
Menopause & HormonesEvidence check
Does Menopause Hormone Therapy Raise Dementia Risk? Two Kinds of Studies, Two Answers
A large Danish registry study linked estrogen-progestogen therapy with a higher rate of dementia, even when started at 55 or younger. A randomized trial that followed women 10 years after four years of hormone therapy found no difference in brain scans. Here is how to read both.
Menopause & HormonesChecklist
Taking Your HRT Abroad? Check Each Country's Medicine Rules
Include transit countries when checking arrangements for your prescribed medicines.
Menopause & HormonesChecklist
Wearing an HRT Patch Before MRI? Ask About the Patch Plan
Have your radiology team and prescriber clarify instructions for your exact product.
Menopause & HormonesEvidence check
Keep or Remove Your Ovaries During a Hysterectomy? What Long-Term Studies Found
When a hysterectomy is planned for a noncancerous reason, removing healthy ovaries "while you're in there" can sound like a sensible precaution. Large long-term studies found it lowered ovarian and breast cancer risk but was linked to higher overall death rates, especially before 50 without estrogen. Inherited cancer risk changes the math.
Menopause & HormonesExplainer
Low-Dose Paroxetine for Hot Flashes: What the Label Says
A 7.5 mg bedtime dose of paroxetine is FDA-approved for moderate to severe hot flashes, a nonhormonal option. It's an SSRI at a much lower dose than for depression, with important interactions, including with tamoxifen.
Menopause & HormonesConversation script
Taking Menopause HRT Before Surgery: Ask for Your Own Medicine Plan
Bring your exact estradiol product and route into the preoperative discussion.
