How to use HRT medications

There’s an ideal time to start hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to get the most benefits—usually within 10 years of menopause and before turning 60. Starting sooner rather than later could reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s, osteoporosis, and heart disease—all while helping you feel better now. With Noom’s personalized approach, you can take charge of your midlife health and get the guidance you need to make the most of this crucial window. Be sure to consult your clinician before beginning any new treatment plans.

Common side effects can occur, such as bloating, tenderness in the breasts, and temporary vaginal bleeding or spotting. Noom’s clinicians are here to help you manage side effects, which could include tailoring your prescription. Side effects can be similar to what’s experienced at certain times during the menstrual cycle, in pregnancy, or with the use of hormonal contraceptives like birth control pills.

• Hormone replacement therapy has been shown to improve metabolic health in menopausal women, including insulin sensitivity and fasting glucose. It has additionally been shown to improve healthy body composition and fat distribution, improving visceral adiposity.^1,2
• When your hormone levels are unbalanced, it can also make weight loss extra difficult. Research shows that hormone balancing can provide symptom relief and amplify weight loss achieved with Noom’s proven behavior-change approach.³

Our bioidentical transdermal patch and micronized progesterone pills are FDA-approved. While the FDA does not review compounded medications, our estrogen body cream is USP-compliant, which means that it meets the quality standards set by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and is produced in US-based, state-regulated compounding pharmacies. Every batch is tested by an FDA-registered third-party lab to ensure it meets Noom’s quality standards.

• Unfortunately for women’s health, there remains conflicting information in the market about breast cancer risk and HRT, so it’s important to know the facts. There was a controversial study that ended in 2002, known as the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), that many consider to have been flawed. This study caused a lot of concern around HRT treatment because it reported a link between HRT and breast cancer, which many now believe does not exist or is not applicable to today’s treatment methods. As a result of the study, millions of women (and their doctors) abandoned effective HRT treatment nearly overnight. Since then, we have heard from many researchers, including some involved in the WHI, who believe this study overstated the risks, was misleading, and failed to bring attention to the overall benefits of HRT for most women.
  • For instance, it was found that women in the WHI study who used estrogen-only HRT (prescribed to patients without a uterus) actually showed a reduced risk of breast cancer. And overall, the data showed no increase in cancer deaths for women on HRT.
  • A more recent study from the UK (that unfortunately got way fewer headlines), found that women who used estrogen-only HRT and women who used estrogen with bioidentical progesterone (the modern treatment that Noom and many other providers prescribe today) had no increased risk of breast cancer at all.
• Finally, a comprehensive analysis of many studies, including the WHI’s own data, showed that HRT reduces mortality risk (deaths from any cause) when HRT is initiated within 10 years of menopause and/or under 60 years of age. This key longevity finding supports our belief, and one that’s shared by millions of women and their doctors, that for most women experiencing menopause symptoms, the many benefits of HRT outweigh the potential risks.

• According to a large 2019 study, transdermal (through the skin) forms of HRT were not associated with increased blood clots. Noom only prescribes transdermal estrogen patches and creams as part of Noom + HRT^Rx. There is evidence that some forms of estrogen, primarily oral tablet forms of estrogen, have been associated with increased risk of blood clots.
• Your clinician will review your medical history before providing a prescription and you will have the opportunity to discuss your potential risks and concerns.

In some instances, patients may benefit from HRT if there are no contraindications to prescribing it, but HRT is not a first-line treatment for depression. Be sure to consult your clinician before beginning any new treatment plans.

HRT may be helpful in preventing bone loss, but it is not approved for the treatment of existing thin bones or osteoporosis. Be sure to consult your clinician before beginning any new treatment plans.