55 – HRT, breast cancer and the real risks of not taking hormones

In this powerful episode of The Dr Louise Newson Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Dack, a US-based physician and author of 'Bioidentical Hormones 101' and the upcoming 'Power of Hormones', challenges the long-standing fear of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by presenting compelling evidence that oestrogen—particularly bioidentical estradiol—can reduce the risk of breast cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis. He dismantles the myth that HRT causes breast cancer, citing the 18- and 20-year follow-up data from the Women’s Health Initiative, which shows a 40–45% reduction in breast cancer mortality among women on oestrogen alone. He highlights the critical difference between synthetic progestins like medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) and natural progesterone, emphasizing that MPA increases breast cancer risk while natural progesterone does not. Dack also critiques the medical education gap, the pharmaceutical industry’s role in perpetuating fear, and the dangers of drugs like bisphosphonates, which can cause spontaneous fractures. He advocates for a paradigm shift in how healthcare providers view HRT—not as a risky intervention but as a vital, preventive medical tool for women’s long-term health.