Breaking news.....

Daily Mail investigate HRT dosages in private clinics

Apr 2, 2023

Hot Off the Press

This story broke in the Daily Mail today not my favourite rag but this time I have to applaud them.

Although there has been so much good work to raise the conversation about menopause which is long overdue, the overemphasis on HRT as a panacea for every ill in the perimenopause years or as a preventative measure for all aspects of ageing has never sat comfortably with me and is in the main not backed by sufficiently robust scientific data. This is particularly true surrounding dementia and the current furore about testosterone usage in women.

Many women benefit greatly from well-administered HRT doses and for some, it is truly necessary through this life transition. But there are guidelines based on current evidence wrt to the dosage which are there to safeguard patients. But many private clinics are willing to administer higher dosages. In this unequal healthcare scenario where many local doctors are seriously undereducated in menopause and lacking resources not least time for longer consults and testing women are turning to private operators. Let’s hope that this new storm doesn’t halt the progress in driving for more research, education of clinicians and greater access to HRT for those who need along with a balanced conversation on the lifestyle factors that are also critical for perimenopause and beyond.

A Balanced View on Menopause

So proud of menowarrior and fellow MenoClarity founding member Rachel Lankester. Rachel went on the BBC Breakfast earlier this week to present a more balanced view on menopause just 8 weeks after the group started.

Magnificent Midlife’s Rachel Lankester was featured, and it was great to see this being discussed from a lifestyle perspective. All of us in MenoClarity believe HRT has great value but the conversation needs to be balanced with lifestyle and nutrition and addressing the spiritual dimensions that are too often ignored at this time.

The Dementia Debate

A small article in the Swedish supermarket magazine caught my eye this week. There has been so much debate about dementia and misinformation swirling about it that it was great to see a clear set of statements from a world expert Professor Miia Kivipelto. She leads a research collaboration across Karolinska in Stockholm, East Finland University and research institute THI with other affiliates across the globe on dementia. The research is clearly showing that lifestyle and diet are the primary routes to prevention irrespective of genetics or, gender or ethnicity. They identified 5 key factors - maybe not surprising ones as they mirror much of what has been seen in the Blue Zone project.

Plant-based diet - ‘eat the rainbow’
Movement matters - exercise daily
Brain training- keeping our brains active throughout our lives
Social connection - even ‘fika’ counts but balance the cakes with some fruit
What’s good for the heart is good for the brain - keeping tabs on your blood sugar, cholesterol and BP really matters.

And the other factor she has observed is that going into retirement s not good for us instead stay active and have ikigai a reason, a purpose to get up every day.

Each of us can reflect on what we need. I am lonely and need more social connection? Am I eating too few vegetables? Invest in yourself.

This week on the podcast

This week on the podcast I was joined by the irrepressible Wayne Altman and we talked Binaural Beats for tinnitus, sleep and mood. Here the full episode here

Stay tuned for this week when fellow TCM practitioner Jiaming Ju of Kunhealth joins me to talk about why younger women need to be preparing for perimenopause. You can read my blog on the stages of womanhood and how TCM thinks about perimenopause and menopause.

News, view and more…..

Testing for perimenopause has always been a no for me as hormone levels fluctuate too much daily for these tests to have validity and I have always advocated for symptom tracking as the most reliable way to know if you are in peri.

Now there might be a genuine test. Menoguide from Agile Life Sciences is a quick, test based on the vaginal microbiome it based on the fact that the ratio of bacteria changes throughout menopause and can indicate what stage you’re at.

UK appoint another Menopause Csar🤦‍♀️ this time she got off on the wrong foot by recycling the old chestnut of women not living beyond menopause in past generations. Although we all acknowledge that women died because of infection and childbirth there is more than sufficient evidence that women lived long healthy lives way since Biblical days.

To be honest the recent McKinsey report on Women in the Workplace 2022 gives far greater detail on why midlife women are quitting the corporate world. In my own humble opinion and experience our meno brains are far less tolerant of the daily microaggressions and misogyny than when we were younger. No more playing nice girls.

A hello and thank you to all my recent subscribers from around the world. I am happy you have joined this community and look forward to your feedback, comments and ideas.

Love

Clarissa x

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