HoldsUp

Dr. Tyna Moore · 2026-07-24 · Tyna Moore (host)

Can't Take HRT? Here's What You Need to Know | SOLO

27 research-tied claims examined: 2 contradicted 1 overstated 2 context 20 supported 2 unverified

20

Supported by research

0:01:32Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Testosterone can aromatize into estrogen in the body.

"testosterone can aromatize into estrogen, and then eventually we usually bring on the estrogen as the woman progresses into perimenopause." (said at 0:01:32)

The claim that testosterone can aromatize into estrogen in the body is well-established and biologically accurate. Cytochrome P450 aromatase (encoded by the *CYP19A1* gene) is the sole enzyme responsible for converting androgen precursors into estrogens. Specifically, aromatase catalyzes the conversion of testosterone to 17β-estradiol, as well as androstenedione to estrone.

0:05:28Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

2018 data showed that 94% of US adults are metabolically compromised.

"94% of US adults are metabolically compromised, that was 2018 data, we know it is probably way worse now post-COVID because everybody was locked up for how long" (said at 0:05:28)

A 2022 analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999 to 2018 (O'Hearn et al.) evaluated optimal cardiometabolic health across five components: adiposity, blood glucose, blood lipids, blood pressure, and absence of clinical cardiovascular disease. The authors found that by the 2017–2018 survey cycle, only 6.8% of US adults had optimal cardiometabolic health across all components, meaning approximately 93.2% (roughly 94%) had intermediate, poor, or suboptimal cardiometabolic profiles.

0:10:50Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

Transdermal estrogen does not increase the risk of blood clots.

"They know that transdermal estrogen is not going to increase your risk of blood clots, and they still don't want to manage it because that's time and energy and liability and risk that they don't want to take on." (said at 0:10:50)

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses consistently show that while oral estrogen significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) / blood clots, transdermal estrogen does not significantly increase VTE risk compared to non-use. A 2018 meta-analysis of 22 studies found no increased risk of VTE with non-oral/transdermal estrogen therapy alone (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.81-1.10) compared with non-users, whereas oral estrogen therapy significantly increased the risk (OR 1.43 to 1.72).

0:17:00Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

Estrogen depletion or estrogen-blocking medication causes increased insulin resistance and metabolic compromise.

"pulling estrogen out of the system, whether abruptly or slowly because it's either declining naturally or you are on an estrogen-blocking medication post breast cancer or post cancer, you will by default become more insulin resistant and more metabolically compromised just from the act of estrogen being out of the body or leaving the body or waning in the body." (said at 0:17:00)

Estrogen plays a key regulatory role in adipose tissue distribution, skeletal muscle function, lipid metabolism, and insulin signaling. Clinical and mechanistic evidence demonstrates that the loss or depletion of estrogen—whether through natural perimenopausal/menopausal decline, primary ovarian insufficiency, or anti-estrogenic therapies—promotes central/visceral adiposity, dyslipidemia, hepatic lipid accumulation, and increased insulin resistance, which together elevate cardiometabolic risk.

0:20:40Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

Studies show that GLP-1 receptor agonists are protective to some degree against obesity-related cancers.

"And we've proven this now that we have these studies coming out showing that GLP-1s are pretty much protective against to some degree against obesity-related cancers because they are mitigating metabolic health" (said at 0:20:40)

Multiple large-scale observational cohort studies and target trial emulations demonstrate that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are associated with a reduced risk of several obesity-associated cancers (such as endometrial, ovarian, colorectal, pancreatic, and gallbladder cancers) compared with non-use or alternative diabetes treatments like insulin. While randomized controlled trial meta-analyses are currently limited by follow-up duration, they also suggest reductions in specific obesity-related malignancies such as uterine cancer.

0:24:12Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Bisphosphonates are associated with abnormal femoral fractures.

"When it [snorts] comes to bone health, there's bisphosphonates, which are medications. That's first-line therapy for osteoporosis. I don't love them. I'm not going to go into it. There is these abnormal femoral fractures that occur." (said at 0:24:12)

Bisphosphonates are well documented in large observational studies, clinical trials, and systematic reviews to be associated with an increased risk of atypical femoral fractures (AFFs), particularly with prolonged treatment duration (typically beyond 3 to 5 years). Major professional bodies, including the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR) and the American College of Physicians (ACP), recognize this risk, noting that while the relative risk increases with duration of use, the absolute incidence remains rare and is typically outweighed by the overall reduction in typical osteoporotic fractures in high-risk patients.

0:28:51Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Veozah is an FDA-approved medication for hot flashes that places stress on the liver.

"So there is an option for hot flashes that's FDA approved called Veozah. I'm not a huge fan of it. From what I understand, it puts undue stress on the liver, and the liver is already usually pretty stressed out in middle age" (said at 0:28:51)

Veozah (fezolinetant) is an FDA-approved non-hormonal neurokinin 3 (NK3) receptor antagonist indicated for moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms (hot flashes) associated with menopause. In randomized phase 3 clinical trials, fezolinetant was associated with elevations in liver transaminases (ALT/AST >3 times the upper limit of normal) in approximately 1.5% to 2.3% of participants, requiring baseline and periodic hepatic laboratory monitoring.

0:24:12Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Bisphosphonates are considered first-line pharmacological therapy for osteoporosis.

"When it comes to bone health, there's bisphosphonates, which are medications. That's first-line therapy for osteoporosis." (said at 0:24:12)

Bisphosphonates (such as alendronate, risedronate, and zoledronic acid) are widely established as first-line pharmacological therapy in major clinical guidelines for the prevention of fractures in patients with osteoporosis.

0:27:09Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Studies demonstrating bone density improvement from impact and resistance exercise utilized heavy lifting at approximately 85% of one-rep max combined with jumping.

"Actually, the data looked at people who jumped and lifted weights and they lifted fairly heavy. It was like 85% of their one-rep max, I believe. They were like pretty close to the edge." (said at 0:27:09)

The speaker accurately describes the protocol used in landmark clinical trials evaluating bone mineral density (BMD) responses to exercise, notably the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial (and subsequent LIFTMOR-M trial). In the LIFTMOR trial of postmenopausal women with osteopenia and osteoporosis, the high-intensity resistance and impact training (HiRIT) protocol combined impact loading (jumping/drop jumps) with heavy compound resistance exercises (deadlifts, overhead presses, and back squats) performed at >85% of 1-repetition maximum (5 sets of 5 reps). The intervention produced statistically significant improvements in lumbar spine and femoral neck BMD compared to controls.

0:30:58Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

The medical consensus is that women with a past history of breast cancer who cannot use systemic estrogen therapy may safely be candidates for vaginal estrogen use.

"the consensus is if you have breast cancer, history of breast cancer, sorry, not active, history of breast cancer, and you've been told you can't use any estrogen replacement therapy, you may very well be a candidate for vaginal estrogen use." (said at 0:30:58)

Major medical guidelines and consensus statements (such as those from The Menopause Society/NAMS, ISSWSH, and ACOG) affirm that women with a history of breast cancer who suffer from genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) and are not candidates for systemic hormone therapy can be candidates for low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy, typically after non-hormonal options have failed and in consultation with their oncology team. Large observational studies and meta-analyses show that low-dose local vaginal estrogen has minimal systemic absorption and is generally not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer recurrence or mortality, although caution and close monitoring remain advised for patients on aromatase inhibitors.

0:32:17Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

Spicy foods induce vasodilation by stimulating nitric oxide production.

"spicy foods vasodilate you, which is awesome. Get that nitric oxide going." (said at 0:32:17)

Capsaicin, the primary bioactive compound responsible for the pungency of chili peppers and spicy foods, stimulates vasodilation through transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) activation. Experimental studies in endothelial cells and vascular tissue demonstrate that capsaicin-induced TRPV1 activation promotes calcium influx and phosphorylation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), increasing nitric oxide (NO) production and enhancing endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation.

0:32:21Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

Caffeine is neuroprotective.

"Caffeine is neuroprotective." (said at 0:32:21)

Large-scale epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses consistently support the neuroprotective associations of caffeine, particularly against Parkinson's disease and cognitive decline. A 2020 meta-analysis found that regular caffeine consumption was associated with a significantly reduced risk of Parkinson's disease (hazard ratio 0.797, 95% CI 0.748–0.849) as well as slower disease progression in affected patients (hazard ratio 0.834, 95% CI 0.707–0.984). An umbrella review of meta-analyses also concluded caffeine consumption is associated with a probable decreased risk of Parkinson's disease. Mechanistically, caffeine acts as an adenosine A2A receptor antagonist, which exhibits neuroprotective effects in preclinical models.

0:33:20Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

The North American Menopause Society published a statement in 2023 arguing against the use of soy.

"Thankfully, the North American Menopause Society came out with a statement in 2023 and they argue against soy" (said at 0:33:20)

The North American Menopause Society (NAMS) published an updated position statement in 2023 on nonhormonal management of menopause-associated vasomotor symptoms. Based on an evaluation of the available evidence, the panel explicitly categorized 'soy foods and soy extracts, soy metabolite equol' as 'Not recommended' (Level II evidence).

0:33:31Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Estrogen replacement therapy protects bone mineral density.

"we know that bone density is protected by estrogen replacement therapy." (said at 0:33:31)

The host's statement that bone density is protected by estrogen replacement therapy (or hormone replacement therapy) is supported by extensive high-quality randomized controlled trial evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that estrogen/hormone replacement therapy consistently prevents bone loss and increases bone mineral density across multiple skeletal sites, including the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and forearm in postmenopausal women.

0:39:39Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Studies show that cognitive behavioral therapy produces decent results for treating hot flashes.

"There's studies on cognitive behavioral therapy with hot flashes, decent results." (said at 0:39:39)

Multiple systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials demonstrate that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) effectively reduces hot flash frequency, severity, and associated distress or bother in women undergoing natural or treatment-induced menopause, showing small-to-moderate, statistically significant improvements.

0:41:07Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

During pregnancy and postpartum, the brain physically shrinks and then restabilizes into a new baseline structure.

"Just like when you are pregnant, postpartum your brain goes through crazy changes. In fact, it shrinks away and then it comes back to a new normal, stabilizes, and this is now the mother brain" (said at 0:41:07)

Prospective longitudinal MRI studies demonstrate that pregnancy induces substantial reductions in gray matter volume and cortical thickness (often described as brain restructuring or fine-tuning, analogous to adolescent synaptic pruning). These volumetric reductions primarily affect networks involved in social cognition and maternal-infant bonding. Longitudinal follow-up studies show that while some postpartum recovery occurs, these structural brain changes largely persist and stabilize into a long-lasting maternal neural baseline extending at least 2 to 6 years postpartum.

0:35:11Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

Standard pharmacy brand-name estradiol and micronized progesterone are bioidentical, whereas equine estrogens and synthetic progestins are not bioidentical.

"Equine estrogen is not bioidentical. Estradiol is, estriol is. Those don't have to be compounded. You can get them from your traditional pharmacy down the road. Brand-name prescription estradiol is bioidentical... The micronized progesterone that we get from the standard pharmacy or compounded is bioidentical. Progestins are not bioidentical. Equine estrogen is not." (said at 0:35:11)

The speaker's statements accurately reflect clinical definitions and pharmaceutical formulations. In medical literature, 'bioidentical' refers to hormones that are molecularly identical to those produced naturally by the human body (such as 17β-estradiol and natural progesterone). FDA-approved and commercially registered pharmaceutical products containing 17β-estradiol and oral micronized progesterone are widely available at conventional pharmacies and do not require custom compounding. Conversely, conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) derived from pregnant mares' urine and synthetic progestins (e.g., medroxyprogesterone acetate) have distinct chemical structures that differ from human endogenous hormones, making them non-bioidentical.

0:35:46Tyna Moore (host)supportedhigh

The Women's Health Initiative study conducted over 20 years ago utilized progestins in its combined hormone therapy arm.

"And the scary outcomes from the Women's Health Initiative study from over 20 years ago, that was done with progestins." (said at 0:35:46)

The combined hormone therapy arm of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) randomized trial, published in 2002, tested conjugated equine estrogens combined with the synthetic progestin medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg/day) versus placebo in 16,608 postmenopausal women. The trial was stopped prematurely after an average follow-up of 5.2 years due to increased risks of invasive breast cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, and pulmonary embolism in the combined therapy arm.

0:36:47Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

Topical progesterone administration does not provide the allopregnanolone neurosteroid benefit associated with other delivery forms.

"I used to use topical for years and years and years. Although you don't get that allopregnanolone benefit out of a topical" (said at 0:36:47)

Topical and transdermal administration of progesterone bypasses the extensive first-pass hepatic metabolism that occurs with oral administration. Hepatic 5α-reductase and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes rapidly convert oral progesterone into active 5α- and 5β-reduced neurosteroid metabolites, predominantly allopregnanolone (3α,5α-tetrahydroprogesterone), which acts as a potent positive allosteric modulator of GABA-A receptors, yielding sedative and anxiolytic neurosteroid effects. Non-oral routes, including topical delivery, avoid this first-pass hepatic conversion and therefore do not produce the substantial elevations in circulating allopregnanolone seen with oral progesterone.

0:34:56Tyna Moore (host)supportedmoderate

The loss of estrogen during menopause causes adverse changes in lipid and metabolic markers, including increased LDL, ApoB, triglycerides, and decreased HDL.

"serum insulin's high, lipids are all over the place, cholesterol goes through the roof, ApoB is high, LDL's really high, HDL plummets, triglycerides go up. That is definitely putting you at a higher risk. And that is happening because estrogen is leaving the body." (said at 0:34:56)

Large prospective cohort data, such as the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), confirm that the menopausal transition and the corresponding decline in estradiol (E2) are independently associated with an atherogenic lipid shift. Specifically, longitudinal analyses show that greater declines in estradiol during the transition correlate with significant increases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B (ApoB), and triglycerides, along with lower levels of HDL cholesterol.

Unverified means no publication matching the claim was located; it does not prove the claim false. Spotted an error? See the corrections policy - disputes from the people quoted are prioritized.