Davina McCall has criticized a BBC documentary over fears it could discourage women from seeking hormone replacement therapy.
The Menopause Industry Uncovered, which aired on BBC One’s Panorama program on Monday night, raised concerns that Dr Louise Newson, a GP specializing in menopause, had been prescribing excessively high doses of HRT.
Ms McCall previously praised the controversial doctor as “my source of knowledge” and, breaking her silence on the show, appeared to defend her from the latest criticism.
Speaking to her two million followers on Instagram, the presenter said: “Researching a doctor doesn’t mean they’re all wrong.”
Last night she took to social media to express her frustrations, as she said the documentary presented by her colleague Kirsty Wark left her feeling “let down” by its depiction of hormone replacement therapy.
Davina McCall has criticized a BBC documentary over fears it could discourage women from seeking hormone replacement therapy.
The Menopause Industry Uncovered, which aired on BBC One’s Panorama program on Monday night, raised concerns that Dr Louise Newson, a GP specializing in menopause, had been prescribing excessively high doses of HRT (participants of the program in the photo).
Mrs McCall said: “Last night I felt like it was a small step backwards, which is a shame.”
“Again, it was designed to discourage us from trying to take hormone replacement therapy.”
The star, who has spoken openly about her own experiences with menopause, criticized the documentary for what she saw as a missed opportunity to support women.
She said: “HRT can be a lifesaver – it was for me.”
McCall, presenter of ITV show My Mum, Your Dad, praised Wark, saying: “I just want to say how much I love and respect Kirsty Wark, she made a documentary in 2017 about the menopause.” I often mention her as one of the OG (original) menopause warriors, very important to Kirsty.
HRT is prescribed to relieve debilitating symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings, and brain fog.
It can be prescribed in the form of a gel, spray, tablet or patch, with the highest authorized dose of estrogen being 100 micrograms per day.
But Panorama’s investigation found patients at Dr Newson’s private clinics who had serious complications from high-dose HRT prescriptions, including several women who developed a thickening of the lining of the uterus, a possible precursor to cancer.
Mrs McCall said: “Last night I felt like it was a small step backwards, which is a shame.” “Once again, it was designed to discourage us from trying to take hormone replacement therapy”
HRT is prescribed to relieve debilitating symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, mood swings, and brain fog.
The Care Quality Commission has said it is investigating “concerning information” relating to the clinics.
McCall revealed that her own friends take higher doses of estrogen than recommended, but that it “seems pretty fair” that their doctors made the decision to do so.
It comes as Mariella Frostrup raised similar concerns, criticizing the documentary as a “headline-grabber” and suggesting the BBC has failed to prioritize the needs of its female audience.
She said: “I’m disappointed that, rather than looking at the bigger picture, the BBC has opted for a shocking headline-grabbing story, when the majority of its viewers are women over 50 who could do with some good advice “. than more controversy surrounding HRT.
