The Women's Health Crisis We're Not Talking About

I just had a powerful conversation with Dr. Vonda Wright, one of only 6% of female orthopedic surgeons in America. What she shared left me stunned, and frankly, angry about how we've failed women in healthcare.

The Devastating Numbers

Here's what most people don't know: 70% of hip fractures happen to women. After a hip fracture, 50% of women never return to their pre-injury function. That means half of these women can't live independently anymore, they need full-time care, move in with family, or go to nursing homes.

But here's the kicker: this is largely preventable.

The 2002 Disaster That Changed Everything

In 2002, the Women's Health Initiative study created a panic about hormone replacement therapy. The headlines screamed that hormones cause breast cancer. Overnight, 40% of women on hormone therapy stopped, scared for their lives.

What did the actual data show? Without hormones: 3 out of 1,000 women got breast cancer. With hormones: 3.8 out of 1,000. That's less than one additional case per 1,000 women. And there was no increase in death from breast cancer.

We changed an entire culture of medicine based on a difference of 0.8 cases per 1,000 women.

Today, less than 4% of women use hormone therapy. An entire generation of women (baby boomers) missed out on protection for their bones, hearts, and brains because of fear-based medicine.

The Real Crisis: Muscle Loss

While we've been focused on bone density, we've ignored the bigger problem: sarcopenia, or muscle loss. After age 30, we lose 3-8% of our muscle mass per decade if we do nothing about it.

Muscle isn't just what moves your skeleton, it's a metabolic organ that secretes proteins affecting everything from bone density to brain resilience. When you can't get up from a chair easily, that's a predictor of nursing home admission.

The Solution Isn't What You Think

Dr. Wright shared something that challenged everything I thought I knew about strength training for aging women. The key isn't doing endless light-weight, high-rep exercises. For strength and power, what you need to prevent falls and maintain independence, you need to lift heavier weights for fewer reps.

We're talking 3-6 reps to failure, not 25 reps. This recruits neuromuscular pathways and builds actual strength. Even women with osteoporosis can do this safely with proper progression.

One of the most inspiring examples: Dr. Wright's friend Susan started at age 63, 51 pounds overweight, unable to function well. Through walking, proper protein intake, and learning to lift heavy, she transformed completely. She's now competing as a powerlifter.

The Critical Decade

Dr. Wright calls ages 35-45 the "critical decade." This is when women start losing estrogen rapidly, affecting every tissue in the body, brain, muscle, bone, and heart all have estrogen receptors.

This is when we need to act, not wait until our 60s when we're already frail.

What Women Need to Know Now

1. Get baseline testing at 40: Bone density, body composition, complete metabolic panel
2. Consider hormone therapy early: Work with a knowledgeable provider who understands bioidentical hormones and proper delivery methods
3. Focus on protein: Most women Dr. Wright sees eat less than 60 grams of protein daily, nowhere near enough to maintain muscle
4. Lift heavy: With proper form and progression, strength training prevents the frailty that leads to loss of independence
5. Don't rely on calcium supplements: Get calcium from whole foods and focus on what builds bone quality, not just density

The Bigger Picture

Less than 1% of research dollars are spent on women over 40, despite this group representing 25% of the population. We're making medical decisions for women based on studies done primarily on men.

Dr. Wright is calling on philanthropic women benefiting from the great wealth transfer to fund women's health research. We can't wait for the NIH to catch up.

It's Never Too Late

The most powerful message from our conversation: it's never too late to start. Dr. Wright referenced research on 90-year-old nursing home residents who increased their function by 150% in just six weeks through simple chair exercises.

My own father started strength training at 89 when he couldn't get out of a chair easily. The transformation was remarkable.

But don't wait until 89. Start now, whatever your age.

The Bottom Line

We've normalized frailty in aging women, but frailty isn't normal, it's preventable. The combination of proper hormone support, strength training, adequate protein, and early intervention can keep women strong, independent, and vital well into their later decades.

Women deserve better than being dismissed, undertreated, and left to decline. It's time we changed the conversation from managing decline to optimizing vitality.

The science is clear. The solutions exist. Now we need the will to implement them.

Listen to our full conversation on The Dr. Hyman Show here: https://youtu.be/LhPb9ah_LjY?si=1zsp0cJOpsImr1zZ