13/03/2026
PHYSIOTALK with Bec - 'Deciphering the Complex Code of Hormones into Mid-Life'
Read it below or on our Substack ☺️:
Up until reasonably recently there was minimal research surrounding the impact of hormonal changes on women’s health… and women’s health in general! In fact, most recommendations for women were extrapolated from research containing male subjects only. But, as I am sure any male you would speak to would agree, women are really nothing like men, and to expect us to respond in the same way to a treatment is madness.
To add to this, when studies were started in the late 1990s, the final data released in 2002 by the WHI (Women’s Health Initiative) contained incorrect information, resulting in a massive drop in the use of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy). Unfortunately, there were many limitations to these studies as they used an older style of HRT which was mainly synthetic, on subjects that already had health conditions and were at a much older age than the menopause. As a result, there has been many decades of women who have struggled through perimenopause and menopause without adequate treatment.
More recently, there appears to be an overwhelming explosion of research and advice in this area which has provoked more confusion. Which information is correct? How do I know where to start? Will I ever read anything else ever again in my Facebook or Instagram feeds, as apparently the algorithm knows I am approaching middle age.
Of all the information and advice that is out there, several things I know for sure. There are some similarities across the board for all women, but we must also be treated as individuals with individual health profiles. There are three clear stages of hormonal changes – perimenopause, the menopause, and post-menopause. All three stages need to be managed differently. HRT can be a very good and safe option for many women but MUST be administered under ongoing guidance with regular tests to monitor the levels in your system. New evidence is emerging that HRT is not only used for symptom management, for example hot flushes, anxiety or sleep issues, it also has preventative benefits for things like cardiovascular disease, dementia and osteoporosis. However, HRT is certainly not the magic bullet. The usual lifestyle choices have a huge part to play, as do genetics and our metabolism. The way our bodies work in their entirety changes gradually as we transition through the menopause, so doing the same thing as we did in our twenties will just not cut it – as much as we would like to think, and hope, it will.
Discussing some of these things are a part of many of our Women’s Health consultations at Physique. For most women deciphering the transition of our bodies through perimenopause, into menopause and beyond requires a team of support and a cheer squad, which we love being a part of every day.
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Physiotalk with Rebecca Bell
