This week, the Lancet, a major medical journal, published an opinion piece as the first part of a larger series on menopause that advocates against "over-medicalizing" menopause. Condemnation from menopause advocates, like myself, has been swift and sharp.

Here is my response.

Menopause is a hormone deficiency state
Estradiol and progesterone are essential hormones that support the health of every organ and system in the female body. With or without menopause symptoms, all women will experience deteriorating health due to hormone deficiency in menopause.

Lack of estradiol and progesterone accelerate the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and many cancers.

Without hormone replacement therapy, menopause always negatively impacts bodywide health. Menopause treatment is not just about symptom suppression. It is about addressing immediate symptoms AND proactively preserving the health of the entire body.

Hormone deficiency is a medical state and deserving of treatment. With every other hormone deficiency--diabetes, hypothyroidism, Addison's Disease--we urgently treat the hormone deficiency by restoring the missing hormone. Menopause deserves the same attention and urgency.

If we really want to foster value and respect for older women, as the author advocates, we can start by valuing women's health and happiness enough to treat menopause to the highest available standard for all women. And that means HRT for every woman who is a candidate.

To see the Lancet piece:
https://www.thelancet.com/series/meno...

--- Contents of this video -------------------------

00:00 - The Lancet article
01:10 - Menopause is about hormones
02:48 - Hormone deficiency
04:20 - Menopause matters
05:26 - Replace the hormones (HRT)