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In this episode of the Hotflash Inc Podcast, host and journalist Ann Marie McQueen is joined by Dr. Rachel Pope, an OB-GYN and certified menopause practitioner at the Institute University Hospitals Cleveland, with an appointment in the Department of Reproductive Biology. Dr. Pope is also a public health researcher, currently working to clarify gaps in hormone therapy research that impact real women every day.

Dr. Pope’s recent study set social media on fire, with claims that hormone therapy in perimenopause reduces breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack risk by 60%. But is that actually what the data said? In this episode, Dr. Pope gives a clear, honest account of what her study really found – and what it didn’t. She speaks about the confusion that followed, why nuance matters, her belief in the power of hormone therapy and how to move forward in the menopause conversation with more care, accuracy and integrity.

This is a must-listen for anyone navigating perimenopause, hormone therapy decisions or working in the midlife health space.

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Highlights

• The truth behind the viral claim that hormone therapy “reduces risk by 60%.”
• Why misinterpretation of data spreads so fast — especially on social media.
• What the research actually says about breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack.
• The gaps in current evidence, especially around compounded hormones and long-term outcomes.
• How healthy-user bias and retrospective databases can distort study results.
• Why individualized care matters — and why hormone therapy isn’t universally preventative.

GUEST LINKS

• University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center
• Instagram: @drrpope
• X: @drrpope 

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