What does the latest research say about menopause hormone therapy, and how can women distinguish reliable medical evidence from commercial hype? In this live discussion, physician and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner Dr Deepti Gandhi joins investor and author Maryann Selfe to explore changing medical guidance, treatment choices and the rapidly growing menopause industry.
If you’ve been following the news about menopause lately, there’s a lot going on. Just this past week, two stories caught my attention.
On 5 November, The Washington Post reported on new research suggesting that lifetime estrogen exposure may be associated with better brain health in later life. The findings raise intriguing questions about the role of estrogen in brain ageing (although they do not establish that hormone therapy prevents dementia).
Meanwhile, the FDA approved changes removing statements about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia from the boxed warnings of three additional estradiol patches. The decision follows earlier labelling changes and reflects an evolving approach to communicating the benefits and risks of menopausal hormone therapy.
Two developments, arriving within days of each other, adding to a debate that has been running for more than two decades…. and these are just two of the headlines.
So, the science is evolving. Medical guidance is changing. And women are being asked to make decisions about their health in the middle of it all. But here’s what I find interesting.
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For generations, menopause was something women were largely expected to navigate silently. There was little discussion, limited information and, for many women, inadequate medical support. Today, the pendulum seems to have swung in the opposite direction.
There are menopause specialists, clinics, digital platforms, hormone therapies, supplements, gummies, shampoos (I stumbled upon the shampoo in a grocery store and found it particularly intriguing… what’s it supposed to do? wash menopause away… but I digress!), podcasts and an expanding universe of products promising to help women navigate midlife.
We have gone from a shortage of information to an abundance of it. But does having more information necessarily mean we are better informed?
And perhaps more importantly, how do women distinguish between what the science actually tells us, what remains uncertain and what the rapidly growing menopause industry would like us to believe?
As someone investing in women’s health, I see the commercial opportunity. For too long, women’s needs were overlooked, and the emergence of new solutions is a welcome development. But I also find myself asking some uncomfortable questions.
Is every new solution addressing a genuine unmet need?
Is greater choice always better?
And where do we draw the line between improving women’s healthcare and turning a natural life transition into another market to be monetised?
These are not straightforward questions.
That’s why I’m delighted to be hosting Dr Deepti Gandhi for a live conversation here on The Billion Dollar Blindspot.
Deepti is a board certified family medicine physician and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner with over two decades of clinical experience. In her own private practice, she translates complex science into practical, evidence based and holistic midlife care.
We’ll explore the promises and contradictions of today’s menopause boom, what women should make of the competing messages about treatment, and something that receives far less attention: how our cultural attitudes towards ageing might shape the way we experience this stage of life.
There’s another idea Deepti raised when we were preparing for this conversation that I have been thinking about.
Throughout our lives, we have people to turn to for guidance. Yet when menopause arrives, many women discover that even the women closest to them cannot necessarily help them navigate it.
Why is that? And what might change if we approached menopause differently? I want to explore these questions with her, and with you.
Join us live
With Dr Deepti Gandhi and Maryann Selfe
Date: 15th November 2026
Time: 18:00 CET | 12:00 PM EST | 9:00 AM PST
Where: Live on Substack, The Billion Dollar Blindspot
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About Maryann Selfe
Maryann Selfe is an institutional investor and the Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Calabar Capital, an investment platform backing exceptional managers and founders in women’s health. She is the author of The Billion Dollar Blindspot and writes about women’s-health investing and capital allocation.
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The Billion Dollar Blindspot is an independent publication. Its content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, an investment recommendation or an offer to buy or sell any security.
Although I run a technology company, I am also a functional nutrition practitioner.
When I do take on clients its 98% women over 40, who are seeking diet and lifestyle support for menopause.
One of the regulatory gotchas in particular that I have seen is how women face significantly greater barriers to accessing testosterone treatments than men.
So looking foward to the conversation.
I’m so excited to hear this conversation - this was an incredible piece. We need to be shouting about this from the rooftops! 🙌