12 - HRT, misinformation and navigating the menopause media minefield with Kaye Adams

The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

Dr Louise Newson

Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Medicine

4.8 • 798 Ratings

🗓️ 17 June 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

‘I'm a journalist, and I'm always trying to make sense of stories... that's just how my brain works. But I've never been able to make sense of this one... the whole HRT story, the information women are given, and the choices we make based on information we're not entirely sure about. I've always felt that was just unsatisfactory. So that overview from you, I have found really, really interesting’. In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson is joined by broadcaster and journalist Kaye Adams — a familiar face from ITV’s Loose Women and host of the How to Be 60 podcast — for a candid and deeply insightful conversation about navigating menopause in your sixties, the vital role of hormones, and the ongoing confusion around HRT (hormone replacement therapy). Drawing on her background in pathology and neurophysiology, Dr Louise unpacks decades of overlooked science showing how hormones like oestradiol, progesterone, and testosterone influence everything from brain function and inflammation to bone health and dementia risk. She explains how hormones deficiencies can create a perfect storm for disease, and why understanding their role at a cellular level is crucial for women’s long-term health. Together, Dr Louise and Kaye address the persistent fears around breast cancer and HRT, revisiting data from the controversial WHI study. Dr Louise explains how misinterpretation and media panic have caused widespread confusion and lasting harm to women’s health. Dr Louise also highlights the significant reductions in risks such as cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis that HRT can offer, questioning why compelling evidence is still often ignored by mainstream medicine. Kaye shares her personal reflections and doubts as a woman navigating healthcare in a landscape clouded by misinformation. Their discussion becomes a powerful call for clearer, evidence-based communication, encouraging women to feel empowered, not frightened, when considering treatment. Available to watch on YouTube We hope you love the new series! Share your thoughts with us on the feedback form here and if you enjoyed today's episode, don't forget to leave a 5-star rating on your podcast platform. Email [email protected] with suggestions for new guests! Disclaimer The information provided in this podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Dr Louise Newson or the Newson Health Group. LET'S CONNECT Website: Dr Louise Newson Instagram: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast (@drlouisenewsonpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos LinkedIn: Louise Newson | LinkedIn Spotify: The Dr Louise Newson Podcast | Podcast on Spotify YouTube: Dr Louise Newson - YouTube CONNECT WITH KAYE ADAMS Podcast Website: How To Be 60 with Kaye Adams Instagram: Kaye Adams (kayeadamsofficial) • Instagram photos and videos Spotify: How To Be 60 with Kaye Adams | Podcast on Spotify YouTube: How To Be 60 with Kaye Adams - Youtube

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Dr Louise Newsom and welcome to my podcast. I'm a GP, menopause specialist and founder of the free balance app.
0:12.0	My mission, to break the taboos around women's health and hormones, shining a light on the issues we've been too afraid to talk about.
0:20.6	From contraception, sex and testosterone to menopause-related addictions and beyond, we're covering it all.
0:28.5	I'll also be joined by experts and inspiring guests, sharing insights and real stories,
0:33.7	as well as answering your questions and tackling the topics that matter to you the most.
0:42.0	On the podcast today, I've got Kay Adams, who's a well-known presenter of loose women and a journalist.
0:48.1	We talk a lot about what it's like being menopausal in your 60s, whether you should be taking
0:52.7	hormones or not, what questions you might
0:55.4	be asking yourself and your healthcare provider. Lots to think about and she's certainly gone off
1:01.0	after the podcast to reflect a bit more. So thank you for coming. Last time I spoke to you was on a screen
1:10.6	because I was on your podcast actually.
1:12.8	Yes, you were, weren't you? That was a couple of years ago and you took questions.
1:16.1	Yeah, it was great. Yeah. It was really good.
1:18.5	Which is interesting because also my postcard decided to be 60. So I wondered how my demographic would, you know, which direction they would go in.
1:26.8	But there was so many women,
1:28.8	as you well know, thinking, right, okay, here I'm at that age, what am I doing? Or people
1:32.9	whose symptoms have persisted. Yes. And were saying, I thought we came through this thing.
1:37.4	Yeah. And they hadn't. You know, so it was really interesting. Yeah. I think it's really
1:41.5	interesting because a lot of the conversation, well, it's always been, but it seems to be more at the minute that the menopause is a transition. It's a process. It's something we go through. I've recently been in America and I met a whole group of great women in New York and they were like, oh gee, I'm through my menopause. It's like, are you? Well, you're not dead, so you can't be. And they're like, what do you mean? And it's like, well, you know, if you actually look at the definition of the menopause in the traditional sense,
2:06.6	it's a year since your last period, so it's only one day. Right. Do you know what I mean? Or is it,
2:11.5	is it a day or is it an hour, or is it a second? Like, no one really defines it. I mean, it's just rubbish, actually, being defined by your periods.
2:18.1	Do you know what I mean?
	...

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