2025 Vancouver Benefits Summit: Addressing hormone imbalances during perimenopause with personalized care plans

“What was really going on here was perimenopause: low estrogen, low progesterone and high cortisol, our stress hormone,” said Kristy Prouse (pictured right), chief medical advisor for women’s health at Science&Humans, a hormonal health platform, during Benefits Canada’s 2025 Vancouver Benefits Summit.

Read: More than hot flashes: Women raise awareness about menopause symptoms and work

Lisa was eventually offered both hormonal and non-hormonal interventions. The hormonal system works in a “biofeedback” loop, said Prouse, with the brain releasing hormones that communicate with the pituitary gland and that gland releasing hormones that communicate with the ovaries, which then produce estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The brain works to keep those hormone levels regulated.

But hormonal imbalances, brought on by chronic stress, medical conditions, lifestyle habits or age-related changes such as perimenopause, can be very disruptive, she said, causing a range of symptoms including fatigue, irritability, cognitive challenges and metabolic issues. Longer-term health consequences of low estrogen and progesterone include osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, she added.

Hormone imbalances can have a significant financial impact on women, contributing to increased absenteeism and presenteeism and harming their performance at work. “Addressing hormone health often leads to significant improvements in mental clarity, mood, quality of life and productivity at the workplace.”

Also speaking during the session, Ifra Jamil (pictured left), GreenShield’s director of consumer strategy and growth, said the insurer is launching a hormonal health program as part of its broader focus on women’s health.

Read: A closer look at menopause-inclusive workplaces

According to the insurer’s own data, 70 per cent of health-care users are women and, in one year alone, it saw a 36 per cent spike in menopause-related care and a 40 per cent jump in menopause-related medication claims. “Women are seeking better, more personalized care,” she said.

The hormonal health program will include an initial intake assessment with a nurse practitioner, diagnostic bloodwork to help women understand their hormone levels and the development of personalized care plans, including guidance, lifestyle changes, sleep coaching, medications or supplements and more. Plan members can have virtual check-ins with hormonal health experts every three to four months and will be able to directly message them in between appointments.

Greater access and integration of health services is particularly crucial for women’s health, said Jamil, as women tend to face diagnosis delays, fragmented care and “a lack of tailored support across our life stages.”

Indeed, 60 per cent of users of GreenShield’s digital platform for plan members, in which they can see their coverage, assess a care service, search for a provider and submit a claim, are women.

Read more coverage of the 2025 Vancouver Benefits Summit.