Hormone optimization is physician-supervised care that restores hormones toward a healthy range when your symptoms and lab testing confirm they're off. For women it usually means menopause or perimenopause hormone therapy; for men it means testosterone therapy when symptoms are matched by confirmed low levels. It starts with comprehensive blood testing, uses FDA-approved therapies first, and is monitored with follow-up labs.

Yes. In November 2025 the FDA announced it would remove the boxed warnings from menopausal hormone therapy products containing estrogen, and the change took effect in February 2026. The warnings about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia were removed, and updated labeling emphasizes that benefits are most favorable when therapy begins before age 60 or within 10 years of menopause. One boxed warning remains: endometrial cancer risk for systemic estrogen-alone products.

For most healthy women who start near the onset of menopause, the benefits generally outweigh the risks — which is why the FDA removed the broad boxed warnings in 2025. But safe doesn't mean risk-free or right for everyone. Risk depends on your age, how long since menopause, the dose and route, and your health history, including any history of certain cancers or blood clots. That's a conversation to have with a physician who knows your labs.

Not necessarily. "Bioidentical" is a marketing term, and the FDA and Endocrine Society have both said so — importantly, FDA-approved bioidentical options already exist, like estradiol patches and micronized progesterone. Compounded hormones and pellets are not FDA-approved, their dosing can be inconsistent, and pellets can't be removed if levels run high. ACOG and The Menopause Society advise against routine use of compounded hormone therapy when approved options exist, and ACOG specifically advises against pellets for testosterone.

Yes, where it's clinically indicated. Testosterone therapy is offered to men who have symptoms and confirmed low testosterone on two morning blood draws — not on symptoms alone, and never for anabolic or performance use. Your physician reviews benefits, risks and alternatives, and monitors you with follow-up labs including hematocrit. Large trial evidence has been reassuring on cardiac safety in men for whom therapy is indicated, but it isn't risk-free, so appropriate selection and monitoring matter.

For women, the evidence points to a window: starting before age 60 or within about 10 years of the onset of menopause gives the most favorable balance of benefit and risk, and the FDA's updated labeling now reflects that age-specific guidance. Starting later isn't automatically off the table, but the calculation changes — so it's worth having the conversation sooner rather than waiting out your symptoms.

With validated blood testing, interpreted alongside your symptoms and history. For women that typically includes sex hormones plus thyroid and metabolic markers; for men, testosterone is confirmed on two fasting morning draws, since levels vary through the day. We don't base treatment on saliva panels, which aren't recommended for guiding hormone dosing. After treatment starts, we re-test to confirm the dose is working and safe.

No. Hormone optimization at Refine works alongside your primary care and gynecologic care — it doesn't replace them, and it isn't a substitute for primary or emergency care. Keep your regular physician for general health, screenings like mammograms and any acute or serious medical needs. We're glad to coordinate so everyone is working from the same picture.

Start with a consultation in Lincoln Park or Logan Square. Your physician reviews your symptoms and history, orders the right labs, and builds a plan once results are back. Hormone care is also included in our Refine Her and Refine Him memberships, which bundle consults, lab panels and ongoing optimization. Pricing depends on the plan and any labs or medications, and is confirmed at your consultation.