Hormone therapy and insulin resistance in non-diabetic postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Climacteric : the journal of the International Menopause Society · December 2025 · Tanya Li, Nathan S Jiang, Julia Kaskey, Peter F Schnatz, Matthew Nudy

What this study found

HT significantly lowers insulin resistance in healthy, non-diabetic postmenopausal women, with E alone yielding greater reductions than combination therapy.

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systematic_review

How RAGMD uses this study

Clinical questions this paper informs

Synthesis lives on the evidence question — this page shows where the study sits in that analysis.

Primary study

Can hormone therapy help insulin resistance in peri- and postmenopausal women?

Some studies show improved insulin sensitivity with estrogen-based therapy in early postmenopause, but results are not uniform across regimens. HRT should not replace evidence-based diabetes prevention or treatment.

Open evidence analysis

Primary study

Does hormone therapy improve metabolic syndrome markers?

Menopausal hormone therapy may favorably affect some metabolic markers in selected women but is not a primary treatment for metabolic syndrome. Lifestyle and cardiometabolic risk management remain foundational.

Open evidence analysis

Core study

Can GLP-1 therapy be combined safely with hormone optimization regimens?

No large outcome trials specifically study combined GLP-1 and hormone therapy. Clinically, combinations are used with attention to muscle mass, nutritional status, and individual cardiometabolic goals.

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