Every available type of hormone therapy will effectively eliminate hot flashes and other menopause symptoms.   However, all hormone therapy is not the same.  Individual formulations impact bone health, breast health, and cardiovascular health differently.   In episode 123, Dr. James Simon and I discussed starting hormone therapy after the age of 60. In this episode, we discuss the nuances between different hormones and their impact on breast cancer and bone health.  Why it is important to individualize hormone therapy Why there is the perception that estrogen causes breas ..read more

While it has been established that the most optimal time to start hormone therapy is within ten years of the menopause transition or before age 60, one of the most common questions that pops up is, “Is it safe to start hormone therapy after age 60?” In this episode I have a conversation with Dr. James Simon to determine WHO is a candidate for a “late start” and HOW to evaluate if it is safe.   I also included (at the end!) breaking news on a new study that gives reassuring data about continuing hormone therapy well  the age of 60. How it was determined that the optimal time to ..read more

Up to 50% percent of women who take an antidepressant have sexual problems. By age 60, roughly 1 in 4 women are taking an antidepressant.  This episode is all about the science behind WHY SSRIs and other antidepressants can sabotage your sex life, and what you can do about it.   Why so many mid-life women take anti-depressants Why perimenopause hormonal changes trigger mood issues.  Why anti-depressants impact libido and the ability to orgasm.  Other things that impact on libido and orgasm in mid-life women.  If all SSRIs are equally problematic This is not a do-it ..read more

Dr. Kathleen Jordon and I sat down to discuss the two most commonly prescribed GLP- 1 Inhibitors:  Semaglutide (Ozempic™) and Terzepatide (Mounjaro™)  What are GLP1 Inhibitors? How GLP-1 Inhibitors  Who is a GOOD CANDIDATE to take a GLP-1 Inhibitor Who is NOT a GOOD CANDIDATE based on medical conditions Other HEALTH BENEFITS from taking a GLP1 Inhibitor besides weight loss The COST of the drugs?  INSURANCE coverage? When it is OK to get a GLP 1 inhibitor from a COMPOUNDING pharmacy What are the problems with some compounding pharmacy How well these drugs work Potential si ..read more

It was news to me that estrogen levels can impact on the likelihood of reflux, your gut microbiome, and even the frequency and consistency of your poop. It’s complicated, and I had a hard time interpreting the data, so I invited gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Ruchim to help me out.  In this episode: How and why GERD is impacted by menopause  If  Hormone Therapy Make GERD worse or better? The impact of hormones on the gut microbiome How frequency of bowel movements correlates with menopause symptoms If an alteration in diet will change the microbiome and influence hot flashes I ..read more

Estrogen is not only good for your brain, your bladder, and your bones, estrogen is also good for your blood vessels. And a lack of estrogen is one of the reasons, that heart disease spikes in women post menopause. Hormone therapy, if started within ten years of the menopause transition, appears to be heart protective. Today I am joined by Dr. Marla Mendelson, a cardiologist and associate professor of Medicine at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University.   She is also the former co-director of the Women’s Health research Institute. Dr. Mendelsohn has devoted her career to ..read more

Gynecologists have the unique position that it is appropriate to ask personal, invasive, and otherwise inappropriate questions. One question that is standard when you go to the gynecologist is “Are you sexually active? “This seems like a reasonable question, but is, completely meaningless. In my opinion doctors can learn a lot from Dr. Ruth’s approach!  The Doctor is In: Dr. Ruth on Love, Life and Joie de Vivre Put the O Back in Mojo: A Guide to Post Menopause Libido and Orgasm (available for pre-order)  To Find a Certified Menopause Practitioner   Midi Health: JoinMidi ..read more

In the 1960s, under the leadership of Helen Gurley Brown, Cosmo morphed from a “proper ladies' magazine” to a much racier version that was thought of as being a sex manual disguised as a woman’s magazine. The target audience was the young working woman. Women in their 60s were not reading it and were certainly not buying subscriptions for their daughters or granddaughters.  And here we are, Cosmo has just published a groundbreaking, article titled Sex after 60 based on research done in collaboration with the renowned Kinsey Institute of Sexual Research. The Kinsey research team, which I w ..read more

While many women are aware that hormone therapy is good for the bones, it is usually thought of as a side benefit. You know, women take hormone therapy because they are flashing or can’t sleep and then are told, are told, by the way ..estrogen will also help prevent bone loss.  In the United States, there are 10 million women with OSTEOPOROSIS and 43 million women with OSTEOPENIA. Most of these women have no idea that they are at risk for a potentially life-changing or even fatal fracture and also have no idea that hormone therapy is a proven strategy to treat low bone mass and prevent o ..read more

Pregnancy tests, ovulation tests…and now the latest in tests you can do in your bathroom laboratory- Menopause Tests! Clear Blue™, who sell ovulation predictor kits and home pregnancy tests, has come out with an over-the-counter kit to help women who are “confused and wondering if what you’re feeling is the start of the menopause journey, or perhaps something else.” All you need to do is pee on a stick, and you will know if you are pre-menopause, perimenopause or post-menopause. So, what’s the deal with these kits?  How these tests work Accuracy of home FSH tests Why these tests can be ..read more