The case for early HRT — and the studies that quietly buried the WHI.

Hormone therapy is not one thing. Route, dose, age, time since menopause, uterus status, clot risk, breast-cancer history, and symptom burden all change the conversation.

The timing hypothesis

The post-WHI era forced a necessary caution, but it also created a generation of simplistic fear. For many symptomatic, appropriately screened women near menopause, the risk-benefit picture can be materially different from the headline version.

The Glow call

This is clinician territory. The best HRT conversations look boring: personal history, labs when useful, clear goals, follow-up, and a willingness to stop or adjust.