THE JOURNAL
Notes from the practice.
Long-form writing on perimenopause, menopause, hormone therapy, and the conditions that get missed in standard care - written for the women I treat and for anyone trying to make sense of what's happening in their own body.
EDITOR'S PICK
Does estrogen hormone therapy cause breast cancer? Here's what the research actually shows.
Did she really say that estrogen doesn't cause breast cancer? Yes. I did. And I stand by it. I know that might feel shocking — maybe even alarming — given what most of us have been told for the past two decades. But the science tells a different story than the headlines did in 2002, and it's time we talked about it.
MARCH 25 · 3 MIN READ
ALL POSTS
Does estrogen hormone therapy cause breast cancer? Here’s what the research actually shows.
Did she really say that estrogen doesn't cause breast cancer? Yes. I did. And I stand by it. I know that might feel shocking — maybe even alarming — given what most of us have been told for the past two decades. But the science tells a different story than the...
5 things you can do right now to protect your brain through menopause and beyond
The menopause transition is real, and the brain symptoms it brings - brain fog, forgetfulness, mood shifts, sleep disruption - are legitimate neurological events, not something you're imagining. But here's what I want you to hold onto: you have more control over your...
The hormonal heart: why cardiovascular risks look different for women after menopause
"When your heart says 'love' but your hormones say 'pause'!" Here's something that might surprise you: heart disease kills more women in the United States than anything else. According to the CDC, it claims the lives of 1 in 3 women every year. And yet, so many women...
Your brain on menopause: what’s actually happening (and why you’re not imagining it)
If you're a woman in midlife and you've ever walked into a room and immediately forgotten why you went there, struggled to find the right word mid-sentence, or felt like you were thinking through a fog, I promise you - you are not losing your mind! You're experiencing...
Fatigue got you down? Could it be sleep apnea?
Gonna get real personal here with this one. Over the past few months, I had several episodes where I woke up in the middle of the night in a panic, my heart racing, gasping for air. I felt like I was gagging on the back of my throat. These were what I presume to be...
What you should know about breast cancer screening
It’s October, which means you can’t get through this month without seeing a pink ribbon or hearing about breast cancer awareness. So, naturally, it’s time to address breast cancer screening. When to Start Most guidelines recommend starting mammograms at age 40, then...
What’s the story with bioidentical hormones?
Before we get into this…if you haven’t read my blog post Hormone therapy: how did we get here?, check that out first. TLDR – the hormones taken by women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative were predominantly oral (pills) synthetic hormones. The headlines that...
The skinny on GLP-1s
If you’ve turned on the TV, opened social media, or chatted with anyone about health lately, chances are you’ve heard about GLP-1 medications. Everyone talks about Ozempic, but these also include Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound. All the influencers, personal trainers,...
Hormone therapy: how did we get here?
What's the backstory on hormone replacement therapy? When it comes to menopause and hormones, few topics have been as misunderstood—or as hotly debated—as hormone therapy. So how did we get from “everyone’s on it” to “hormones are dangerous” to where we are today?...