It might be peri. Plus, what your heart needs your doctors to know, and why we're done with body shaming.
Your heart disease risk doesn’t just appear in midlife.
Finally, someone is telling doctors to connect the dots between our hormones and our heart health
The American Heart Association says women should pay attention to heart disease risk long before midlife. That includes everything from irregular periods and the birth control we took as teens to anxiety, depression, and how we manage menopause.
Hormones can affect blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart disease risk throughout our lives. But are all our doctors comparing notes? Your gynecologist may know things your primary care doctor doesn't.
What to ask: Do all your doctors have a complete health history and medication list? Are there heart disease risk factors they should monitor together?
40+ and anxious? It may be peri.
Many women in their 40s feel like they’re barely holding their shit together. They’re juggling work, family, finances, and everyone else’s lives, trying not to drop a ball.
So is it really any wonder they’re struggling?
Turns out, there may be more going on than everyday stress. New research suggests anxiety symptoms are more common during perimenopause.
Trouble concentrating, poor sleep, an upset stomach, feeling restless, tense, or panicky can all be signs of anxiety. And perimenopause may be adding to everything you're already dealing with.
What to ask: Could perimenopause be contributing to my anxiety? What treatments might help, especially if my sleep is suffering, too?
Why are more Black women dying of breast cancer?
More Black women are still dying of breast cancer than white women, even though fewer are diagnosed.
Income and insurance don’t explain everything. Neither does biology.
Delayed appointments, transportation barriers, and problems getting follow-up care all play a role. And getting a mammogram doesn't magically fix any of those problems.
We've spent decades telling women to get screened. But what happens after an abnormal result matters just as much.
What to ask: If my mammogram is abnormal, how quickly should I get follow-up testing? Who makes sure I don't fall out of the system between appointments?
Breast cancer isn't always the end of the HRT conversation.
You've made it through breast cancer treatment. Now you're dealing with hot flashes, sleepless nights, and other menopause symptoms. And you're told HRT is off the table.
For years, that's been the advice for breast cancer survivors, especially women whose cancers were sensitive to hormones.
But some doctors don’t think the conversation should end there.
If your menopause symptoms are making your life miserable, they think you deserve more than a blanket no. Instead, they argue treatment decisions should consider your cancer history and personal risks.
Here's where it gets complicated. Earlier studies found that HRT could increase the risk of breast cancer coming back. But some of those studies used different medications than what's commonly prescribed today. We still don't know enough about the safety of newer HRT options for breast cancer survivors.
HRT isn't the only option, either. There are non-hormonal treatments that can help. And for some women, low-dose vaginal estrogen may be an option for vaginal and urinary symptoms.
What to ask: Given my cancer history, what are my options for treating menopause symptoms, and what are the risks? Ask your oncologist and gynecologist or menopause specialist to talk through them together.
Finally, we’re all out of body-shaming fucks.
No one asked your opinions about our bodies, actually.
If you’re being told how to age, what to fix, and what your body should look like, this essay is for you.
Know someone in the “wait, what the hell is happening” years? Forward this to her.
See you next Friday. — Trista