Understanding Menopause & Hormone Therapy: What FDA Label Updates Mean for Women’s HealthUnderstanding Menopause & Hormone Therapy: What FDA Label Updates Mean for Women’s Health
Healthy YOU!
For years, many women were told that hormone therapy wasn’t safe but the science has evolved and so has the conversation. In this episode of Healthy YOU, host Frankye Myers sits down with Dr. Lisa Casanova, a certified Menopause Clinician with The Menopause Society, to break down what women really need to know about navigating menopause today. This conversation offers clear, evidence-informed insights to help women feel empowered, informed, and confident discussing their options with their healthcare providers. If you or someone you love is navigating menopause, this episode is a must-listen. Understanding your body is a powerful step toward a healthier YOU.
19:39•22 Jun 2026
Menopause, Hormones and FDA Changes: Straight Talk with Dr Lisa Casanova
Episode Overview
- Menopause is defined clinically as 12 months without a period, with hormones fluctuating unpredictably beforehand, much like "puberty in reverse."
- Common symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, poor sleep, brain fog, irritability, irregular periods, urinary issues and vaginal dryness.
- Low‑dose local vaginal oestrogen is described as extremely safe and no longer carries the same FDA black box warning as systemic oestrogen.
- Systemic hormone therapy can help with hot flashes, bone health and genital urinary symptoms, but it is not suitable for every woman and must be individualised.
- Simple daily habits — better sleep, healthy eating in moderation and staying socially connected — are highlighted as key supports during midlife.
“"Menopausal hormone therapy is available. It is safe for the individual patient after discussing it with your healthcare provider; it's not for everyone."”
How do people cope with the challenges of staying well through midlife changes? This conversation on Healthy YOU! zooms in on menopause, hormone therapy and what recent FDA label changes might mean for women trying to make sense of it all. Host Frankye Myers chats with Dr Lisa Casanova, a certified Menopause Clinician, who spends her days helping women figure out whether their hot flashes, mood swings and brain fog are "normal" or something that needs attention.
She breaks menopause down in plain language, describing it as "puberty in reverse" and explaining why hormones don’t simply fall off a cliff, but bounce around before finally settling. You’ll hear a clear run-through of common symptoms — from night sweats and poor sleep to vaginal dryness and urinary issues — and why they’re so closely linked to quality of life.
Dr Casanova explains the history of hormone therapy, how the pendulum swung from "estrogen for everyone" to fear after the WHI study, and why the current approach is much more nuanced. A big chunk of the chat looks at the FDA’s removal of certain black box warnings in 2025.
Dr Casanova highlights why this is especially important for low‑dose vaginal oestrogen, calling it "extremely safe", but also stresses that systemic oestrogen is still "not safe for every single woman" and needs a proper risk–benefit discussion with a clinician.
She also tackles myths about weight gain, outlines who is most likely to benefit (typically women within 10 years of their last period or under 60), and ends with three simple but powerful habits: prioritising sleep, eating well in moderation, and staying socially connected.
If menopause, mood, sleep or long‑term health are on your mind — or on a partner’s or parent’s — this down‑to‑earth chat might be the prompt to start a more honest conversation with a trusted healthcare professional.
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