Hormone Therapy to Help the Heart?

If you would like to read a transcript of this episode along with some additional information, head on over to my substack- substack.com/@DrStreicher Chances are you have heard at least one expert say that systemic hormone therapy will prevent heart disease. But you also may have heard other experts say, No- if you don’t have hot flashes or low bone mass, it is not recommended to take hormone therapy to prevent heart disease down the road. So, who is right? Why is this controversial?  Isn’t the data, the data?  In this episode, I explain why experts are not all on the same page when it comes to the long-term cardiovascular benefits of hormone therapy.  ·      The Difference between a Randomized Controlled Trial and an Observational Trial ·      Why the WHI was an excellent study- and why it was problematic ·      What we learned From the WHI about Hormones and Cardiovascular Health ·      The Study of Women Across the Nation (SWAN)  ·      What we learned From the SWAN about Hormones and Cardiovascular Health ·      What we learned From the SWAN about Hormone therapy and Cardiovascular Risk ·      What we learned From the SWAN about Hormone therapy and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease ·      If hormone therapy should be prescribed for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease-  the view of the two opposing sides  Lauren Streicher, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, and the founding medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause and a Senior Research Fellow of The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University. She is a certified menopause practitioner of The Menopause Society. She is the Medical Director of Community Education and Outreach for Midi Health.  Dr. Streicher is the medical correspondent for Chicago’s top-rated news program, the WGN Morning News, and has been seen on The Today Show, Good Morning America, The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN, NPR, Dr. Radio, Nightline, Fox and Friends, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS This Morning, ABC News Now, NBCNightlyNews,20/20, and World News Tonight. She is an expert source for many magazines and serves on the medical advisory board of The Kinsey Institute, Self Magazine, and Prevention Magazine. She writes a regular column for The Ethel by AARP and Prevention Magazine.  Substack/cm/@DrStreicher  DrStreicher.com Instagram @DrStreich Facebook @DrStreicher YouTube @DrStreicherTV LinkedIn @DrStreicher                   Sign up to receive DR. STREICHER’S FREE NEWSLETTER   Books by Lauren Streicher, MD  Slip Sliding Away: Turning Back the Clock on Your Vagina-A gynecologist’s guide to eliminating post-menopause dryness and pain   Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist's Guide to Turning Down the Heat Sex Rx- Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever The Essential Guide to Hysterectomy                                      To Find a Menopause Clinician Midi Health   www.Joinmidi.com Midi Health is a telehealth company that provides high-level menopause care and takes insurance in all 50 states. Dr. Streicher is Midi’s Medical Director of Education and Community Outreach and is familiar with their medical protocols, which are all regularly updated and set by the top academic menopause experts in the country.      The Menopause Society- Certified Menopause Practitioner List Menopause.org To find a menopause practitioner: https://portal.menopause.org/NAMS/NAMS/Directory/Menopause-Practitioner.aspx Put in your zip code and designate NCMP or CMSP to get a certified menopause practitioner. While all people on this list have passed a competency examination, Dr. Streicher does not vouch for every one of these clinicians. Most are excellent.     Major Medical Centers It also may be helpful to check with major medical centers in your area. Many have menopause clinics or lists of doctors who have an interest and expertise in menopause.      If you are in the Chicago area, the center founded by Dr. Streicher:  The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause Sexmedmenopause.nm.org        Dr. Streicher’s Inside Information podcast is not intended to replace medical advice and should be used to supplement, not replace, care by your personal healthcare clinician. Dr. Streicher disclaims liability for any medical outcomes that may occur because of applying methods suggested or discussed in this podcast.