Hormone therapy has one of the most confusing reputations in medicine. Many women I see still associate it with a single, controversial early-2000s study — and are surprised to learn how much the guidance has changed since then, including a major update from the FDA in the last year. This guide is meant to give you the real, current picture so you can have an informed conversation with your physician, not to tell you what to do.

eating the same and exercising the same as I did five years ago, and my body is completely different." This is one of the most common things I hear, and it's not in your head, and it's not simply "getting older" in some vague, unexplainable way. There is real, specific physiology behind it — and understanding it is the first step to working with your body instead of fighting it.

If you're in your 40s and you've started feeling different, you're not imagining it. Maybe your sleep isn't as restorative as it used to be. You're gaining weight around your midsection despite eating the same way.

insulin resistance is a cardiovascular problem - and why your "normal" labs might be missing it

The thyroid is small, but it plays a big part in your endocrine system. It helps regulate energy levels, metabolism, heart rate, body temperature, digestion, and reproductive health through the hormones it produces.