The benefits of hormone replacement have been underappreciated, Dr. Marty Makary, the agency’s commissioner, said on Monday. Critics described evidence for the change as insufficient.
The changes, expected within six months, represent a radical turnabout in what women have been told about hormone replacement therapy.
Dr. Makary, long a champion of the treatment, asserted on Monday that in fact hormones can reduce cardiovascular disease and cognitive decline, and can improve bone health in postmenopausal women.