Martha Stewart Lets Us In on the Medication She Credits With Keeping Her Strong for 40 Years

Martha Stewart has shared one part of her long-term health routine, revealing that she has taken estrogen for more than four decades and believes it has helped her maintain strong bones and a strong body. The 85-year-old lifestyle entrepreneur discussed her experience at a September 2026 event hosted by her skincare brand, Elm Biosciences. Her comments have renewed interest in menopausal hormone therapy, a treatment that has been the subject of years of medical debate. Stewart’s experience is personal, however, and does not mean the same treatment is appropriate or safe for everyone.

The Hormone Therapy Stewart Has Used Since Her Early 40s

Stewart said she began taking estrogen when she was around 42, meaning she has used the hormone for more than 40 years. She described the treatment as helpful and credited it with supporting her strong bones and overall physical well-being. Estrogen levels naturally decline during the menopause transition, and some women use hormone therapy to manage symptoms associated with that change. Stewart’s comments offer a glimpse into her personal health choices, but they do not establish that estrogen alone explains her strength or longevity.

What Estrogen Does During Menopause

Estrogen is a hormone that plays a role in reproductive health, bone maintenance, and several other functions throughout the body. During perimenopause and after menopause, declining estrogen levels can contribute to symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disruption, and vaginal dryness. Menopausal hormone therapy can help relieve certain symptoms, and estrogen therapy can also help prevent bone loss in appropriate patients. The benefits depend on a person’s symptoms, medical history, age, and the type and timing of treatment.

Why Stewart Believes It Helped Keep Her Bones Strong

Stewart specifically connected her long-term estrogen use with maintaining strong bones and a strong body. Estrogen helps regulate the process of bone remodeling, and lower levels after menopause can accelerate bone loss and increase the risk of osteoporosis. For some women, hormone therapy can help reduce this loss and lower the risk of fractures while treatment continues. Bone health also depends on other factors, including nutrition, weight-bearing activity, genetics, smoking, alcohol use, and other medical conditions.

Why Hormone Therapy Faced Years of Concern

Hormone therapy became more controversial after major research findings in the early 2000s raised concerns about possible risks, including breast cancer and cardiovascular problems for certain groups of patients. Those findings contributed to warnings and a sharp decline in use, leaving many women uncertain about whether treatment was worth considering. Subsequent research and reassessments have helped clarify that the risks vary according to factors such as a patient’s age, health history, treatment formulation, and when therapy begins. The evidence has not established that hormone therapy is risk-free, so decisions require an individualized discussion with a qualified clinician.

What Has Changed in the Medical Conversation

In recent years, medical discussions about menopause treatment have increasingly focused on weighing individual benefits and risks rather than treating all hormone therapy as the same. For some healthy women experiencing significant menopausal symptoms, treatment may offer meaningful relief, particularly when started near the onset of menopause and when there are no contraindications. However, the potential risks differ between estrogen-only therapy and combinations of estrogen and progestogen, and they can also vary by dose and delivery method. Women should not start, stop, or change hormone treatment based only on a celebrity’s experience or a headline about new research.

The Estrogen Patch Stewart Says Has Been Hard to Find

Stewart also revealed that she has struggled to obtain Dotti, a brand of transdermal estrogen patch. She said her usual drugstore did not have the medication available and that she had to visit another pharmacy to find it. Estrogen patches deliver the hormone through the skin and are one option used in menopausal hormone therapy. Her experience highlights a practical challenge for patients who rely on ongoing prescriptions, especially when a particular product is difficult to obtain.

Why Hormone Medication Shortages Matter to Patients

When a prescribed hormone product is unavailable, patients may face delays, extra trips to pharmacies, or uncertainty about how to continue treatment. The exact options depend on the medication, the reason it was prescribed, and the patient’s individual needs, so a pharmacist or prescribing clinician can help identify suitable alternatives. Patients should not ration doses, change how often they use a patch, or substitute someone else’s medication without professional guidance. Anyone who cannot obtain a regular prescription should contact their healthcare provider or pharmacist promptly to discuss safe next steps.

What Women Should Know Before Considering Estrogen

Estrogen therapy is not suitable for everyone, and a clinician should review a patient’s health history, symptoms, and risk factors before recommending it. Depending on the person and the treatment, considerations can include a history of certain cancers, blood clots, stroke, or unexplained vaginal bleeding. Women who still have a uterus generally need a progestogen alongside systemic estrogen to protect the lining of the uterus, although treatment plans vary. People considering hormone therapy should discuss the expected benefits, possible risks, treatment route, dose, and follow-up plan with a qualified healthcare professional rather than using Stewart’s experience as medical advice.

Stewart’s Story Adds to a Wider Conversation About Menopause

Stewart’s account has brought renewed attention to a treatment that many women have questions about, particularly after years of conflicting public messages. Her decades of estrogen use and her belief that it has supported her bones are part of her personal experience, not proof that hormone therapy will produce the same results for others. The broader medical conversation now places greater emphasis on informed, individualized decisions that account for both symptom relief and possible risks. For women navigating menopause, the most useful next step is a conversation with a trusted clinician about their own health goals and treatment options.