Episode Details
Back to Episodes
Ep. 649 Hormone Therapy After Hysterectomy |Menopause, Perimenopause, Hormone Health
Description
Welcome to this week’s Midlife Minute!
Today, I examine partial and full hysterectomies and what we know about their potential long-term effects, clarifying what the research tells us about bone, brain, and cardiovascular health, and what women should discuss with their healthcare providers before and after surgery.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:
How a partial hysterectomy differs from a full hysterectomy, and the abrupt estrogen changes ovarian removal can produce
Why having a hysterectomy before ages 40-45 can have a greater impact than having surgery closer to natural menopausal age.
How a hysterectomy can impact women’s bone health
What the research reveals about the connection between surgical menopause at a younger age, cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s pathology
How a hysterectomy can affect women’s cardiovascular health
Why starting HRT early after an early-age hysterectomy could be important for your long-term health
Why younger women who experience surgical menopause may require higher estradiol doses than the standard menopausal regimens
The importance of advocating for yourself, understanding your personal risk, and talking with your clinician about estrogen and other hormone therapy before undergoing surgery
Quotes:
“Start those conversations early- before you ever have surgery.”
“If you are having these surgeries done before 45, before 40, you need HRT!”
“We have to manage our stress.”
“We have to get enough sleep.”
“We should be strength training.”
“We should be physically active.”
“We should be eating an anti-inflammatory diet.”
Connect with Cynthia Thurlow
Check out Cynthia’s website.
Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com
Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community: The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow.
Purchase Cynthia’s book, The Menopause Gut.
Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book
Research:
Increased Risk of Osteoporosis With Hysterectomy: A Longitudinal Follow-Up Study Using a National Sample Cohort. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2019. Choi HG, Jung YJ, Lee SW.
Menopause Transition and Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Implications for Timing of Early Prevention: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020. El Khoudary SR, Aggarwal B, Beckie TM, et al.
Cardiovascular Disease After Hysterectomy in the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2025. Thao V,