HRT benefits & risks with Dr Avrum Bluming

In this article, you can watch some of our favourite highlights from his exceptional talk.

WATCH THE WHOLE EVENT ON-DEMAND: The full-length video of this event (which runs to over one hour long) is now available to purchase on-demand. Full details are at the bottom of the page.

Dr Avrum Bluming in The Latte Lounge

Dr Bluming is co-author of the best-selling and groundbreaking book about HRT called ‘Oestrogen Matters: Taking hormones in menopause can improve wellbeing and lengthen lives - without raising the risk of breast cancer’.

This event was aimed at women contemplating HRT but unsure whether to take it, women with fears about the risks, or women who refused HRT (perhaps because of previous breast cancer). 

In the session Dr Bluming:

• Took us through the evidence related to the benefits and risks of HRT.
• Explained the links between HRT and heart health, breast cancer, osteoporosis and Alzheimers.
• Revealed research which shows that taking hormones in menopause can improve wellbeing and lengthen lives - without raising the risk of breast cancer. 

Here are some of the highlights and key takeaways from Dr Bluming's session:

1. What happens during perimenopause & menopause, and how can HRT help?

Oestrogen can decrease the frequency and severity of symptoms of menopause by 80-95%.

For more support with perimenopause and menopause, head to our dedicated Resource area, which includes a free downloadable symptom checker.

2. Can breast cancer survivors take HRT?

If oestrogen in HRT caused breast cancer, we would expect to see a decrease in breast cancer rates in post-menopausal women when oestrogen is lower. However, the reverse is true, as rates of breast cancer in post-menopausal women continue to rise.

Dr Bluming shared an overview of the body of research which is currently available to help breast cancer survivors decide whether they can take HRT safely:

3. Is HRT dangerous?

In this highlight, Dr Bluming explains why a report in 2002 from the Women's Health Initiative led to a huge drop in support for HRT among doctors and caused fear among women. This report has since been widely disproven.

4. Can HRT reduce the risk of heart disease? 

Repeated studies have shown that oestrogen decreases the risk of heart disease by 40-50% - more reliably than statins.

In every decade of a woman’s life, starting at 40, her risk of dying from heart disease is greater than her risk of dying from breast cancer, and the difference in risk grows with each decade. 

5. How can HRT protect against osteoporosis and osteoporotic hip fractures?

• The number of women who die each year following an osteoporotic hip fracture is similar to the number who die from breast cancer.
• Calcium and Vitamin D administered to postmenopausal women, not on HRT does not decrease the risk of these fractures. 
• Postmenopausal oestrogen therapy reduces the risk of osteoporotic hip fracture by 30 to 50%.

6. How can HRT protect against Alzheimers?

There is no known cure for Alzheimers. The only known effective preventative treatment is oestrogen which, when started within 10 years of the menopause, has been found to reduce the risk of dementia by 24 to 65%. 

7. Should all women be given HRT from the age of 40?

All the above information is taken from our Q&A with Dr Avrum Bluming and based on the research and statistics included in Dr Avrum Bluming and Carol Tarvis best-selling book ‘Oestrogen Matters’.

Would you like to watch the full-length Q&A with Dr Avrum Bluming in The Latte Lounge?

Our full event ran to over 1 hour long and included expanded explanations of all of the above questions plus a Q&A with the live audience.

Ticket holders paid £11.37 to watch this live, so in fairness to those original ticket holders, we've decided to charge a small fee of £5.49 (which includes our PayPal account fee) to anyone who would like to watch the playback.

Simply make your payment of £5.49 using Paypal to our account here. Once you've completed your payment, please email hello@lattelounge.co.uk, and you will be sent the full-length event to watch.