Menopause Changes the Brain More Than We Realised
Show notes
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Guests:
Elizabeth Poynor, MD, Ph.D
Chair of Women's Health & Gynecology of Atria Health Institute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-poynor-md-phd-390491177/
Website: https://www.atria.org/doctors/
David Dodick, MD
Chief Medical Officer of Atria Health Institute
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-dodick-93a107269/
Website: https://www.atria.org/doctors/
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What if protecting women’s brains from dementia needs to begin decades before symptoms appear?
Phil Newman sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Poyner and Dr. David Dodick to explore why midlife should be viewed not simply as a reproductive transition, but as a major neurological, hormonal and cardiometabolic one. Together, they examine how fluctuating estrogen during perimenopause can influence brain energetics, sleep, memory and executive function – often before women even recognize they are approaching menopause.
Together they explain how fluctuating estrogen can affect brain energetics, why migraine can signal hormonal change, and how insulin resistance, visceral fat and chronic stress can compound brain-health risks. They also unpack the critical window for hormone therapy and why prevention needs a personalized approach.
In this episode, you'll learn:
- Why almost two out of every three Americans living with Alzheimer’s are women, and why longevity alone may not explain the difference.
- How estrogen fluctuations can affect glucose metabolism, mitochondrial function, sleep and cognitive performance during midlife.
- Why migraine affects women around three times more often than men and can worsen dramatically during perimenopause.
- Why optimizing 14 modifiable risk factors could prevent at least 45% of dementia, and why exercise may be one of the most powerful interventions available.
- How combining hormonal, neurological, metabolic and cardiovascular assessments could enable a more personalized approach to protecting women’s long-term brain health.
If you want to understand women’s brain aging, this episode connects hormones, metabolism and neuroscience with practical insights for protecting long-term health.
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Host: Phil Newman: https://qrco.de/bgXpNY