Dr Amandeep Hansra on HRT, GLP-1s and why modern medicine was built on studies of men
Dr Amandeep Hansra is a Sydney GP and co-founder of Australian Medical Angels, a syndicate of over 1,000 clinician investors backing women's health startups. In this episode she explains why perimenopause can start in your 30s and cannot be diagnosed with a single blood test, why the 2002 Women's Health Initiative HRT scare was based on women over 65 (and how the 2025 FDA decision to remove the black box warning changes what women should ask their doctors), what GLP-1 medications like Ozempic actually do to lean muscle and bone density, and why the single biggest longevity marker is not a supplement or protocol but the quality of your close relationships.
okay this conversation is one i'd been wanting to have for ages. Dr Amandeep Hansra is a practicing GP in Bondi, the co-founder of Australian Medical Angels (a syndicate of 1,000+ clinician investors), and basically my dream person to ask all the questions i've been collecting about menopause, perimenopause, GLP-1s, HRT, cold plunges, peptides, and what the hell is actually happening with longevity research for women.
we also got into the bigger picture stuff. why so much of medicine was built on studies done only on men. why wearables are suddenly giving us the women's health data we've never had before. and why the single biggest longevity marker isn't a supplement or a sauna protocol, it's the quality of your relationships.
here's a taste of what we covered:
- →why women got carved out of clinical trials and what's finally changing
- →the truth about the 2002 HRT scare and the 2025 FDA decision to remove the black box warning
- →how to find a doctor who actually listens, including the 3 doctors Amandeep saw before getting prescribed HRT herself
- →what GLP-1s do well, what they take away (lean muscle and bone density), and who they're actually for
- →the AI tool doctors use to find real medical evidence (and why it's better than ChatGPT for health questions)
- →her personal stack: meditation, sound frequency, vagal stimulation, sauna, magnesium, creatine, vitamin D
Dr Amandeep Hansra is an Australian General Practitioner, healthcare leader and angel investor based in Sydney. She is the co-founder of Australian Medical Angels, the nation's largest syndicate of clinician angel investors with over 1,000 medical practitioner members backing healthcare startups, particularly in women's health and digital health. Amandeep also serves as Chief Clinical Advisor to the Australian Digital Health Agency, sits on the AMA NSW board and council, and continues to see patients in clinical practice in Bondi, Sydney.
Amandeep was previously CEO and Medical Director of ReadyCare, Telstra's telemedicine joint venture with Swiss provider Medgate, and served as Chief Medical Officer for Telstra Health. She was part of the founding team of a telemedicine business in the Philippines and has worked clinically across rural, remote and urban Australia. Through Medical Angels, she has helped fund more than 30 health companies, with a particular focus on backing female founders solving previously underserved problems in women's health.
"For many years we had a whole health system that was designed around research that had come from men."Dr Amandeep Hansra
"You can do the basic stuff, which is actually 90 percent of it. The supplements are only going to do 10 percent of the work."Dr Amandeep Hansra
"The greatest longevity marker is the quality of your relationships."Dr Amandeep Hansra
"If you feel like something's not right in your body, you keep seeing somebody until somebody listens to you."Dr Amandeep Hansra
Why has so much of medicine historically been designed for men?
For most of medical history, research was done on men because women were considered too complicated due to hormonal fluctuations and the risks of pregnancy. The classic example is heart attack symptoms: the textbook chest pain presentation comes from studies on men, but women often present completely differently and were therefore misdiagnosed for decades. Mandates requiring minimum female enrolment in clinical studies have only existed for around 10 years.
What is perimenopause and when does it start?
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause where hormones begin to fluctuate, and it can start as early as a woman's 30s, not 45 as many people assume. Symptoms include brain fog, sleep disruption, mood changes and fatigue, which are often misattributed to busy careers, parenting or stress. A single blood test cannot reliably diagnose perimenopause because hormone levels fluctuate constantly.
Is HRT safe? What changed in 2025?
The 2002 Women's Health Initiative study scared an entire generation off hormone replacement therapy after early findings linked it to higher rates of breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, the women studied were over 65 and more than 10 years post menopause. Subsequent research has shown that starting HRT within 10 years of menopause is associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes and longer life expectancy. In 2025 the FDA removed the black box warning from HRT.
How do you find a doctor who actually listens to women?
Amandeep recommends looking for clinics specifically advertised as women's health practices, ideally with female GPs. She also points to telehealth services purpose built for women's health such as MetLuma, MyMa and Mayven Clinic. Her advice is to keep seeing different doctors until you find one who listens. She personally saw three doctors before being prescribed HRT, despite being a GP herself.
What does the evidence say about GLP-1s like Ozempic?
GLP-1s are described as one of the most significant innovations in modern medicine, originally developed for type 2 diabetes. They require medical supervision and are appropriate for people who meet the medical criteria. Studies on semaglutide have shown that around 40 percent of the weight lost can be lean mass including muscle, bone mineral density and water, which is why anyone using these medications needs to prioritise protein intake and resistance training.
What is the single biggest longevity marker?
Research on the world's Blue Zones consistently finds that the strongest predictor of longevity is the quality of close relationships. The mortality benefit is equivalent to not smoking. Diet, movement and time outdoors matter, but community and connection sit at the top of the list.
How can a non-doctor actually research medical evidence?
Amandeep warns against trusting general purpose AI tools like ChatGPT for medical research because they sometimes fabricate citations to be agreeable. Her recommendation is Open Evidence, a free AI tool that medical clinicians use which pulls answers from credible medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, with links you can verify directly to the original studies.
Who is Dr Amandeep Hansra?
Dr Amandeep Hansra is an Australian GP based in Bondi, Sydney, the co-founder of Australian Medical Angels (a syndicate of over 1,000 clinician investors), and Chief Clinical Advisor to the Australian Digital Health Agency. She sits on the AMA NSW board and is one of Australia's most active investors in women's health startups.
What is Australian Medical Angels?
Australian Medical Angels is the country's largest syndicate of clinician angel investors, founded by Dr Amandeep Hansra and Dr Mian Bi. Its mission is to channel medical practitioner capital into healthcare startups that meaningfully improve patient outcomes, with a strong focus on women's health innovation and female founders.
At what age does perimenopause start?
Perimenopause can begin as early as a woman's 30s, although it is more commonly noticed in the 40s. Symptoms include brain fog, sleep changes, mood shifts and fatigue, and they tend to develop gradually over years before full menopause. Diagnosis is currently made on symptoms rather than a single blood test, because hormone levels fluctuate too much hour to hour.
Is HRT safe in 2026?
Current evidence indicates that starting hormone replacement therapy within 10 years of menopause can have benefits for cardiovascular health, bone health and overall longevity for many women. The FDA removed the black box warning from HRT in 2025. As with any medical treatment, the benefits and risks need to be assessed individually with a doctor who is experienced in women's hormonal health.
Are GLP-1 medications like Ozempic safe?
GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are TGA approved medications that require medical supervision. Around 40 percent of the weight lost on semaglutide can be lean mass including muscle and bone density. They are not recommended for cosmetic weight loss in people at a healthy weight. Anyone considering them should speak to a qualified doctor.
What is Open Evidence?
Open Evidence is a free AI research tool used by medical clinicians that pulls answers from credible medical journals including the New England Journal of Medicine. Unlike general purpose AI tools, it links directly to the original published studies, making it a safer option for non-clinicians who want to research medical questions.
Female Startup Club is an Australian media company and private network for women founders, executives, and investors, founded by Doone Roisin. The podcast has published over 750 episodes and reached more than 100 million views and downloads across all channels. Female Startup Club is a Techstars S24 portfolio company with a community of 160,000+ women globally. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
This episode is shared for general educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Always speak to your own qualified healthcare provider before making decisions about hormone therapy, medications or supplements.
