As women age, changes in bone health become increasingly important to understand and manage. Two conditions that often arise during menopause are osteopenia and osteoporosis. Although they may sound similar, they have distinct differences that every menopausal woman should understand.

The gender gap in medical research results in real-life disadvantages for women. Despite women outnumbering men in the U.S. for nearly 80 years, researchers have excluded women from medical studies due to historical and cultural bias, as well as policies that prioritized protecting fetuses. Although policy and social changes in the 1990s helped a bit, women remain underrepresented in research. Growing evidence from clinical research supports that women and men can differ grea

In my conversations with women struggling with menopause, many share stories of not being able to control their tempers. These women describe a cycle of snap, yell, and apologize. Feeling cranky is pretty normal when you're tossing and turning at 3 a.m. while your partner is snoozing without a care, but what I'm talking about here is that intense, red-hot fury that many menopausal women experience. One moment, you're feeling fine, and the next, you’re seeing red. And these ex

Many of my menopausal patients often cite weight gain as one of their most troubling symptoms, and for good reason. Beyond elevating the risk of serious illnesses, increased weight also impacts confidence, self-perception, and mood. Data shows that menopause itself doesn't directly cause weight gain, but it does trigger changes in the body that can negatively impact our sense of self-image.

Progesterone is a hormone made by a woman's ovaries, adrenal gland, and, during pregnancy, the placenta. It is the most important of a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens. Menopausal women experience a significant decrease in their progesterone level, which is important since natural progesterone improves pain tolerance, alleviates joint pain, and provides relief from anxiety. Progesterone also plays a crucial role in bone health by reducing the rate of bone abs

Dry eye disease (DED) is more common among menopausal women than younger women or age-matched men. DED occurs when the eyes don't produce enough tears or when the tears evaporate too quickly. DED can have a significant impact on visual function, causing disturbances to comfort, daily activities, and general quality of life. The varied nature of DED makes it difficult to point to a specific cause; however, research supports that inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva, whic

I recently had to opportunity to sit down with Selene Yeager from Feisty Menopause to talk about vulvovaginal health during menopause. We discussed several exercise-related issues that can show up during and beyond the menopause transition that can cause pain, discomfort, and even damage to your vulva and vaginal tissues. Listen here .

A 2022 paper published in the Journal of Physiology proposes that beginning physical activity at or soon after menopause may be more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk compared to starting at a later stage in life.

Ongoing research has identified a correlation between estrogen and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a vital protein in neuronal growth, development, and maintenance. BDNF plays a pivotal role in cognitive functions such as learning, memory, and mood regulation. The decline in BDNF levels during menopause has been suggested as a potential factor contributing to cognitive and mood issues in menopausal women.

In addition to its role in reproduction, estrogen plays a critical role in supporting joint health. Its decline during menopause can have profound effects on various aspects of joint function. Estrogen receptors are present in all musculoskeletal tissues including muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons. This post explores the profound effects of estrogen's decline during menopause on various aspects of joint function.

The menopausal journey introduces a myriad of challenges, and for many women, navigating gastrointestinal (GI) issues becomes an unfortunate aspect of the narrative. Constipation, characterized by fewer than three complete bowel movements per week, straining, and/or hard, small stools, often takes a prominent role.

I received a few questions about nutrition and exercise recently, which I attribute to our cultural custom of "New Year's resolutions." I picked a couple that are representative.

I received quite a few questions over the holidays so I thought I'd address a few of them in this post.

Osteoporosis is a chronic, progressive, and incurable disease requiring lifelong intervention. A study conducted in 2013-2014 revealed that 6.8% of women aged 50-59 already had osteoporosis, and 34.9% were diagnosed with osteoporosis by the age of 80. Although the impact of osteoporosis manifests in the form of fractures during older age, the most significant bone loss occurs during the menopause transition. Recognizing and addressing this menopausal transition bone loss is c

As the last post of 2023, I'm reposting the top viewed post of 2023. Anyone want to guess the topic? Yep, you got it. Menopausal weight gain!

As I mentioned in last week's blog, we will end the year by reposting the top posts of 2023. The 3rd most popular post was about GSM . Today, we switch to sex - the second most popular post was "Let's Talk About Sex & Menopause." Note that that post was the first of a three part series. Read the other 2 here and here .

You may not be surprised to learn that the most popular menopause subjects of 2023, as determined by blog post views, were weight, sex, the genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM), and alcohol. Please let me know if you have specific questions or topics that you'd like addressed in 2024.

Breast cancer treatments can lead to significant hormonal changes in the body, specifically a dramatic decrease in estrogen or estrogen effectiveness. Practically speaking, women undergoing breast cancer treatment can be launched into menopause nearly overnight. Most of the women will experience severe symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, GSM, and others. In some cases, the menopause symptoms will abate once treatment has concluded. However, many breast cancer treatm

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about the supplement DIM. I wasn't enthusiatic about its use for menopause symptoms. This week, I'm going to talk about a supplement that shows some promise to help with the sleep disturbances of menopause - L-theanine (Be aware that L-t hreo nine is a completely different molecule - don't confuse them!)

Most of my blog posts have talked about menopause that occurs naturally in women over 45. But some women experience menopause earlier in life and shouldn't be left out of the conversation. About 5% of women experience menopause between ages 40-45, and they are said to have "early menopause." Another 1% of women are diagnosed with "primary ovarian insufficiency (POI)" before they are 40 years old. Women of any age can have a surgically-induced menopause. (If they are younger t