A number of recent studies have identified that early menopause (before age 46) increases risk of heart disease. The most recent study, scheduled for release in next month’s issue of Menopause, found that women who experience early menopause may have double the risk of heart disease and stroke. In June, the journal Menopause published another article stating that early menopause predicts future coronary heart disease and stroke.

While I hope that this gets media attention,  I want to make clear that menopause- no matter when it occurs- can increase risk of heart disease. Loosing hormones, like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, puts women in a state of metabolic imbalance, which contributes to inflammation, weight gain, sugar craving, and insulin resistance.  Women in my practice that are going through the hormonal changes of menopause will often present with new onset high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol levels, while also experiencing more anxiety, insomnia and depression. The loss of sex hormones play a significant role in promoting these conditions. Conventional physicians tend to view these conditions in isolation. Patients are often referred to cardiologists and psychiatrist and given prescriptions for lowering cholesterol, anxiety and blood pressure.  If women want to get to the root cause of their symptoms, they need hormones.

Bioidentical hormones are molecularly the same as the hormones womens’ bodies produce prior to menopause.  Because of their bioidentical composition, the body cannot tell the difference between prescribed bioidentical hormones and the hormones it  produces naturally.

As a naturopathic doctor I always strive to address the root cause of a health problem. If a menopausal woman sees me with recent onset high blood pressure and anxiety, for example, I will always explore the hormonal triggers. To just prescribe a medication, or even a natural herb to reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure, ignores the hormonal involvement.