Marla Ahlgrimm, a retired pharmaceutical industry veteran, believes hormone therapy should be low dose, individualized, and use bioidentical hormones or hormones that are identical to those produced by a woman. As the founder of Women’s Health America in Madison, Wisconsin, Marla Ahlgrimm spent greater than 30 years educating women and their doctors about managing the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, perimenopause and menopause using natural hormone therapies.
The co-author of two groundbreaking books, The HRT Solution and Self-Help for Premenstrual Syndrome, Marla Ahlgrimm is often invited to lecture for medical professionals and consumer groups throughout the U.S. and Europe. Though commonly prescribed today, Marla Ahlgrimm pioneered the use of bioidentical hormone therapy using estradiol, progesterone and testosterone beginning in the late 1970’s.
Marla Ahlgrimm began her research in the 1970s when a patient at the pharmacy where she worked reported the same symptoms month after month. Through countless hours of personal attention, Marla Ahlgrimm realized a correlation between the woman’s menstrual cycle and her symptoms.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy in Madison, Marla Ahlgrimm, R.Ph., has established a scholarship in her name for UW students interested in specializing in women’s health. For her work in the field of women’s health, Marla Ahlgrimm has won numerous awards, including a 2008 award from A Fund for Women as one of six Fabulous Firsts in her pioneering work.
When she isn’t writing or researching, Marla Ahlgrimm enjoys traveling across the globe, photography, and volunteering for many local and national charities. Marla Ahlgrimm resides in Madison, where she continues to mentor young pharmacists.