New thinking about perimenopause
Perimenopause is the time when hormone fluctuations -- and the associated symptoms -- mean you're heading to the complete cessation of your periods, AKA menopause. It often starts in your mid-40s and lasts eight to 10 years, but how each person experiences it can vary as wildly as the symptoms.
Contending with those symptoms, which include hot flashes, brain fog, night sweats, low libido, insomnia, urination urgency and vaginal dryness, can be challenging. And, according to new research, this leads to even greater health challenges down the road.
A study in PLOS One identified a connection between the amount of perimenopause symptoms you have and an increased risk of cognition problems, behavioral changes, and dementia later in life. Fortunately, the researchers also found a helpful remedy: estrogen-based hormone therapy. It significantly reduced study participants' risk of later-in-life behavioral problems, such as lack of motivation, impulsiveness and difficulty with social interaction.
If you're experiencing hard-to-cope-with perimenopause symptoms, the Cleveland Clinic suggests doing weight-bearing exercises, eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats; adopting stress-reducing techniques like meditation; and limiting alcohol and caffeine. Medical solutions, in addition to the number one choice hormone therapy (use it with low-dose aspirin and plenty of water to avoid a blood clot, if your doc agrees), include taking gabapentin, fezolinetant, oxybutynin and antidepressants to ease hot flashes. (Antidepressants help mood swings, too).
For more ways to stay brain -- and behavior -- healthy, check out my book "The Great Age Reboot" and sign up for the free newsletter at LongevityPlaybook.com.
Health pioneer Michael Roizen, M.D., is chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic and author of four No. 1 New York Times bestsellers. Check out his latest, "The Great Age Reboot: Cracking the Longevity Code for a Younger Tomorrow," and find out more at www.longevityplaybook.com. Email your health and wellness questions to Dr. Mike at questions@longevityplaybook.com.
(c)2023 Michael Roizen, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
(c) 2025 Michael Roizen, M.D. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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