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Recently we found out Martha Stewart has been on hormone therapy since she was 42. She’s 85 now, and within days social media had turned her existence into evidence: Look at her. What are you waiting for? In this mini episode I explain why that message bothered me so much. Partly it’s the copy-paste sameness of the posts. Mostly it’s what they leave out, like the healthy user bias. That bias muddies so much of the observational research on hormone therapy.
Then I tell the other half of the story. British host and presenter Davina McCall, the UK’s menopause queen and the face of “The Davina Effect”, has been on hormone therapy since her early 40s, and in her 2022 book she wrote that she was taking it for the health benefits too. Since then she’s been through brain surgery, breast cancer treatment and, this month, a cardiovascular disease diagnosis. Nobody is holding her up and saying “look at her”.
This isn’t an episode for or against hormone therapy. It’s about how much any one woman’s story can really tell you, and finishing a few of the unfinished sentences in the menopause conversation. Listen wherever you get your podcasts, or comment “STORY” and I’ll send you the link.
Highlights
00:03 – Martha Stewart: 40+ years on estrogen
01:59 – The suspiciously similar “what are you waiting for?” posts
04:21 – Healthy user bias, explained
06:22 – The Davina Effect and her 2022 book
08:44 – Davina on breast cancer as “Mrs. Hormone Therapy”
09:09 – Her cardiovascular disease announcement
10:43 – Why “look at her” tells you so little
Quotable
“No way would you say that hormone therapy caused any of Davina McCall’s problems. She’s 59 years old, she’s on hormone therapy, but one thing we can say for sure is that it didn’t prevent any of them.”
– Ann Marie McQueen, journalist and founder of Hotflash inc
Mentioned in this episode
- Martha Stewart’s interview with the New York Post
- Menopausing by Davina McCall with Dr. Naomi Potter (2022)
- Davina McCall on Paloma Faith’s podcast
- Jane Hardwicke Collings, Hotflash inc Summit 2025
Connect with Hotflash inc
TikTok: @hotflashinc.menopause
Instagram: @hotflashinc
X: @hotflashinc
YOUTUBE @hotflashinc
Facebook: @hotflashinc
LinkedIn: Ann Marie McQueen
Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always speak with a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your treatment, supplements, or lifestyle.