Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

An umbrella term for replacing a hormone the body no longer makes in sufficient amounts — estrogen-based therapy for menopausal women, or testosterone for men with hypogonadism.

Updated Jul 16, 2026

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replaces a hormone the body is short on. The two most common forms are menopausal hormone therapy (estrogen, usually with a progestogen) for women and testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) for men with hypogonadism.

HRT treats hormone-deficiency symptoms — not weight — and is a separate therapy from GLP-1 medications, though the two often come up together because menopause and low testosterone coincide with weight and body-composition changes. See the overview guide on HRT and GLP-1 medications for how they relate.

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Related terms

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) — Replacing testosterone in men who have hypogonadism (clinically low testosterone plus symptoms), delivered as a gel, injection, patch, or pellet. It is for a specific diagnosis, not a default treatment for the reversible low testosterone that often accompanies obesity.
Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) — Estrogen, usually combined with a progestogen (when the uterus is present), used to relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and to protect bone. Often just called 'HRT.' It is associated with less visceral fat but is not a weight-loss treatment.
SHBG (sex hormone-binding globulin) — A protein that binds and transports sex hormones (including testosterone) in the blood. Obesity lowers SHBG, which reduces measured total testosterone and is a major reason obesity can look like low testosterone on a lab test.
Hypogonadism — A condition of low sex-hormone production. In men it means low testosterone with symptoms; importantly, the low testosterone that often accompanies obesity is frequently a reversible state ('pseudo-hypogonadism') rather than true, pathologic hypogonadism.

Related guides

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and GLP-1 medications: an overview — HRT and GLP-1s are different tools that keep coming up together, because the life stages where people reach for hormones — menopause in women, low testosterone in men — are also times of weight and body-composition change. Here's how they relate, who benefits, and how to think about using them together.
HRT for women and GLP-1 medications: menopause, weight, and body composition — Menopause shifts where the body stores fat and how it holds muscle — the same terrain a GLP-1 works on, which is why hormone therapy comes up. Here's what HRT is for women, who benefits, and how it does (and doesn't) intersect with GLP-1 weight management.