The Truth about HRT: Four Experts. Four Perspectives. What Does the Evidence Really Tell Us?

Professor Susan Davis, Professor Annice Mukherjee, Professor Aimee Spector and Dr Juliet Balfour.

For this World Menopause Day special, I am doing something a little different. HRT has become one of the most talked-about topics in women's health, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood.

Social media, headlines and personal stories can make it difficult to separate evidence from opinion, leaving many women confused about the benefits, risks and limitations of treatment.

I've invited four internationally recognised menopause experts to discuss four areas where women need clearer, evidence-based information about hormone therapy;

1/ Dr Juliet Balfour explores what we know, and don't know, about the benefits and risks of HRT.
Dr Juliet Balfour is an experienced NHS GP with a longstanding interest in women's health. She is a British Menopause Society registered menopause specialist with the Advanced Certificate in Menopause Care and a member of the BMS Medical Advisory Council. She is the Lead for the Somerset NHS Menopause Service and director of Wells Menopause Clinic, a private online clinic.

2/Susan Davis examines the evidence for testosterone, including who may benefit and who may not.
Susan Davis is a Monash University Vice- Chancellor’s Distinguished Professor and an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council L3 Investigator. She is Head of the Women’s Health Research Program, and Head of the Women’s Endocrine Clinic, the Alfred Hospital Melbourne. She has published over 500 scientific papers and is considered one of the world leaders in research into oestrogens and androgens in women. She has written two books.

3/ Annice Mukherjee discusses menopause management after breast cancer and how women can navigate treatment decisions in this complex area.
Professor Annice Mukherjee is an NHS hospital physician and endocrinologist with a medical career spanning nearly 30 years. She specialises in general medicine and endocrinology with a career long interest in complex medical illness, quality of life in endocrine disease, hormone problems in cancer survivors, including early menopause and other complex menopause issues as well as managing complex fatigue. She has supported thousands of women going through menopause to help them manage symptoms and improve their quality of life and overall health safely. She is the author of the book The Complete Guide to the Menopause.

4/Aimee Spector updates on the latest evidence of whether HRT can reduce the risk of dementia.
Professor Aimee Spector is Professor of Clinical Psychology of Ageing and Director of the University College London International Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) centre and ‘Menopause Mind Lab’. Her expertise lies in the global development and evaluation of complex interventions for ageing. She was recently commissioned by the World Health Organisation to support their guidelines around Menopause Hormone Therapy and dementia risk.