{"id":329095,"date":"2025-11-13T16:15:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T21:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/?p=329095"},"modified":"2025-11-14T12:18:53","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T17:18:53","slug":"a-big-win-for-womens-health-and-one-thats-personal-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oviahealth.com\/blog\/a-big-win-for-womens-health-and-one-thats-personal-for-me\/","title":{"rendered":"A big win for women\u2019s health and one that\u2019s personal for me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Dr. Leslie Saltzman, Chief Product Officer at Ovia Health\u00a0by Labcorp and Medical Discipline Director, Consumer Health at Labcorp<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For too long, fear and misinformation have shaped how we care for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause. The result? Millions went without therapies that could have improved both their quality of life and long-term health. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I know this first-hand as a practicing physician and a woman who has benefited from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). I\u2019ve been on estrogen since age 36, after having a prophylactic hysterectomy. Safe, effective HRT has been transformative for me, not just for symptom relief, but also for my long-term health and overall well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA\u2019s recent removal of the black box warning from many estrogen-containing menopause therapies marks a turning point\u00b9. Science, not stigma, can now guide care decisions related to menopause, and it\u2019s been a long time coming. To understand the impact of this change, it\u2019s helpful to look back at what started the fear in the first place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The principal results of the Women\u2019s Health Initiative (WHI) study, Risks and Benefits of Estrogen Plus Progestin in Healthy Postmenopausal Women<\/em>, were published in 2002, causing widespread concern about HRT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the study included women with an average age of 63\u2014well past menopause\u2014and used hormone formulations that are now largely outdated.\u00b2 Since starting HRT later carries higher heart and stroke risks, the WHI results don\u2019t fully reflect the benefits for women who begin therapy closer to menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the study was published, the effect was unmistakable. Women and providers avoided HRT altogether and worried about long term-effects, leaving millions without relief from menopausal symptoms and the associated health complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Twenty three years later, the recommendations are finally aligned with science and data. The updated labeling removes the black box warning and references to cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and probable dementia for all estrogen therapies. In addition, the labeling has also been updated to reflect the safety differences between systemic and local administration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Importantly, the updated labeling provides guidance for starting HRT in women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause who have moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms. This regulatory shift isn\u2019t just about individual women\u2014it also has significant implications for health plans, employers, and care teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This has incredible meaning and potential to improve:<\/p>\n\n\n\n