My MELT Method class of dedicated MELTers at UCSF Millberry Fitness Center, Parnassus, SF 2026
If you are a woman over 40 yrs old, I urge you to read this new book by Dr. Kelly Caspersonm, MD, The Menopause Moment. Even if you are post-menopausal. Not enough time to read? - then listen to episodes of her podcast, You Are Not Broken. She's a hoot, well-informed and tells it like it is in everyday language. She's inspired me to seek out a Menopause Specialist/ Certified Menopause Society MD to help me through this Perim/Meno transition (I started typing "trainwreck" instead, lol). Every person with female biology should have this information, and we owe it to the younger generations to share this info with them as well.
The info below is from her book, Chapter 7, I'll be sharing more nuggets of wisdom in newsletters to come.
HORMONES AND YOUR HEART
"In 2020, the American Heart Association stated that the transition of menopause, independent of aging itself, leads to increased cardiovascular risk and mortality. Early initiation of hormones (within 10 yrs of menopause) is associated with cardiovascular benefit. For women who have early or premature menopause (before age 40), it is considered the standard of care to provide hormones until the natural age of menopause, as going without is devasting to the heart (and life itself)."
TRANSLATION: "Hormones (human-identical transdermal estradiol + micronized progesterone) protect your cardiovascular system, starting them early gives you the best prevention. Menopause has a powerful negative impace on the cardiovascular health of women...The only medication that has ever shown to work as primary prevention of heart disease and cardiovascular mortality is not statins, baby aspirin, or blood pressure medication, but estrogen! And it's cheap, helps with so much more and our body makes it naturally.
SIDE NOTES: Did you know that heart disease is the #1 killer of women! Did you know that there is no age cap on taking hormones, even if you are in your 70s you've been post-menopausal for over 10 years!
ESTROGEN AND MORTALITY
"Estrogen alone decreases your risk of breast cancer and all-cause mortality in women in early postmenopause. Statins don't decrease your risk of dying (in women with no risk factors).
ESTROGEN REDUCES DIABETES RISK
"Shih et al, a 2024 retrospective study, looked at the date of over 20,000 women aged 40-65 with prediabetes and found those on hormones had a 30% decreased risk of developing diabetes at one year...The Nurses Health Study showed current hormone therapy users had a 20% reduced incidence of diabetes compared to never users."
TRANSLATION: Hormones help manage your blood sugar and the menopause transition is a time of increasing insulin resistance.
LIVING PROOF: I just found out last week that my mother (you saw her photo in my post The Power of Vibration) didn't become post-menopausal until the age of 74! She's now 79 and does not need any medications, has a healthy heart, metabolism, hair and skin, plus good bone density! I'd say, that's the power of hormones and longevity!
Originally posted in my emikooyoga newsletter June 16, 2026