06/29/2026
Love this statement from Palacios et al.:
“Despite accumulating evidence in support of hormone therapy for symptomatic menopausal women, the slow response by the medical community has led to a ‘large and unnecessary burden of suffering’ by women worldwide.”
I see this reality every day in my practice.
Recently, I saw a patient I hadn’t seen in over two years. The last time we met, she was thriving. This time, she was struggling with intense hot flashes, night sweats, weight gain, brain fog, fatigue, and more.
What changed? She had stopped her hormone therapy because she’d been told she should only take it for five years and that her body “should be able to go through it naturally”—because menopause is a “natural” process, after all.
After we reviewed what the evidence actually shows and walked through the risks and benefits in her specific case, she exhaled and said, “Oh thank goodness.” The relief wasn’t just about restarting hormones; it was about realizing she didn’t have to suffer to be “doing it right.”
Women should not be left to suffer because they’ve been told they must simply endure menopausal symptoms. The narrative needs to change—from one of resignation and fear to one of informed choice and compassionate, evidence‑based care.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1745506519864009