HOW TO MENOPAUSE: An Honest Take on the HRT, Testosterone and Dementia Controversy

If you’ve ever gone online looking for menopause advice and come away more confused than when you started, this episode is for you. In this episode, Dr Natalie Hutchins is joined by Mr Vikram Talaulikar, consultant gynaecologist, menopause specialist and researcher, to tackle the biggest controversies in menopause management head on. Together, they cut through the social media noise and explain what the science actually supports, and where the honest answer is still “we don’t know yet.” From hormone testing and the contraceptive pill in perimenopause, to testosterone, HRT for heart disease, dementia prevention and longevity, this is the evidence-based conversation every woman navigating midlife deserves. If you feel overwhelmed by conflicting menopause advice, this episode will help you understand the controversies, ask better questions, and make more informed decisions. ⚠️ This podcast is for medical education only and is not intended as personal medical advice. Please speak to your doctor or menopause specialist for advice tailored to you. ⭐️⭐️ Watch These Videos Next ⭐️⭐️ 👉🏾 HOW TO GLOW: Midlife Skin Guide    • HOW TO GLOW: The Midlife Skin Guide That A...   👉🏾 HOW TO STAY ALIVE    • UNDERSTANDING LONGEVITY MEDICINE: NAD, Pep...   👉🏾 HOW TO THINK LIKE YOUR OBSTETRICIAN    • HOW TO THINK LIKE YOUR OBSTETRICIAN: Birth...   Timestamps: 00:00 Why the menopause space is so confusing right now 03:09 How to evaluate sources and spot commercial bias 07:29 Perimenopause vs menopause: what’s actually happening to your hormones 17:00 Hormone testing: when it helps and when it doesn’t 22:00 Continuous hormone monitoring devices, exciting or overhyped? 27:00 The contraceptive pill in perimenopause 35:00 Body-identical vs synthetic hormones and blood clot risk 38:00 The progesterone debate: who really needs it? 40:00 Testosterone for women: libido, energy and brain fog 51:00 HRT and heart disease: the 10-year window explained 58:00 HRT and dementia: what the FDA warning change really means 1:03:00 HRT as a longevity drug: what the evidence says 1:07:00 Women who missed out: can you start HRT later in life? 1:09:00 Three areas of definitive consensus every woman should know 1:15:00 Vaginal oestrogen in women with cancer Follow The Woman’s Handbook for evidence-based conversations on women’s health: Instagram: @thewomanshandbook Spotify / Apple Podcasts: The Woman’s Handbook About our guest: Mr Vikram Talaulikar is a consultant gynaecologist, menopause specialist and researcher with expertise in perimenopause, HRT, testosterone and women’s hormonal health. In this episode, he brings clarity, nuance and clinical experience to the questions women are asking most, and struggling most to get straight answers on. #menopause #perimenopause #HRT #hormones #testosterone #womenshealth #menopausetreatment #oestrogen #progesterone #menopausespecialist #hormonehealth #midlifewomen #hrtbenefits #menopausesymptoms #dementia #longevity #bodidenticalHRT #perimenopausesymptoms #menopausepodcast #evidencebasedmedicine