Health Viewpoints

The Timing Hypothesis That Redeemed HRT

Why the timing of hormone therapy may matter more than age when it comes to protecting your brain, heart, and overall well-being.
The Timing Hypothesis That Redeemed HRT
Illustration by The Epoch Times/Shutterstock
Jingduan Yang
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This is what most women don’t know about hormone replacement therapy (HRT): Timing matters more than age. The key isn’t whether you’re 45 or 55 when you start HRT; it’s when you start relative to your menopause transition.

This concept, called the “therapeutic window” or “timing hypothesis,” accounts for nearly all of the modern controversy surrounding hormones. The wrong therapy, given to the wrong patients, at the wrong time, created decades of confusion.

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Jingduan Yang
Jingduan Yang
M.D.
Dr. Jingduan Yang is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in integrative and traditional Chinese medicine. He developed the ACES Model of Health and Medicine and leads clinical, educational, and research initiatives. As a principal founder of the Northern School of Medicine and Health Sciences, he advances whole-person care grounded in science, ethics, and humanity.