Truth About Long-Term Benefits of Hormone Replacement Therapy For Women, with FDA's Marty Makary
What this video covers
In this July 2025 Megyn Kelly Show segment, host Megyn Kelly interviews then-FDA Commissioner Marty Makary about hormone replacement therapy for women — months before the agency’s November 2025 move to remove black-box warnings from many HRT products.
Makary discusses what he describes as the short- and long-term health benefits of HRT, including reduced risk of heart attacks and dementia and improved sleep. He argues that a 2002 study — the Women’s Health Initiative — was flawed in ways that scared a generation of women away from the therapy, a claim he would repeat at the November press conference announcing the label change.
The segment also touches on an upcoming FDA panel on SSRIs and pregnancy: Makary notes that nearly a quarter of middle-aged American women take antidepressants and says the agency wants experts to review the evidence on birth-defect risks and update labels — at, in his phrase, “real person speed” rather than “government speed.”
The HRT reversal was controversial. Critics — including physicians who wrote publicly about the FDA’s July 2025 advisory panel — argued the agency’s invited experts were ideologically narrow, that distinctions between different hormone formulations and delivery methods were being blurred, and that nearly 80 researchers later requested a formal advisory committee review.
Key points
- Makary argues HRT offers long-term benefits including heart and brain health, not just symptom relief.
- He claims the 2002 WHI study was flawed and created unwarranted fear of hormone therapy.
- The segment aired months before the FDA’s November 2025 black-box removal announcement.
- He previews an FDA panel on SSRIs in pregnancy and the risk of birth defects.
- He contrasts “real person speed” with “government speed” on label updates.
- Critics of the HRT push argued the FDA’s expert panel was stacked and formulation nuances were glossed over.