Breshly News

• The study analyzed data from 708 postmenopausal women — The participants came from two large Canadian health studies: the Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds Study and the Ontario Health Study. Each participant underwent three types of tests:²

According to a press release from the Menopause Society, the results were adjusted for various factors, including age, ethnicity, cause of menopause (spontaneous vs. surgical), and blood pressure, to name a few.⁶

• Key findings revealed a compounding effect — Women who had earlier menopause and lower LVEF showed more signs of brain aging on MRI scans. They had less gray matter and more white matter damage, which are both linked to dementia risk. These changes were visible on brain scans but did not always appear in thinking test scores, meaning brain changes can happen silently before symptoms start.⁷

• Experts call for more targeted prevention — According to the researchers, their findings highlight “a critical gap in women’s health,” showing the link between early menopause and cardiovascular health, as well as their combined impact on brain aging trajectories. Tallinn Splinter, lead author and investigator at the University of Toronto and the Sunnybrook Research Institute, said:

“By integrating cardiac imaging with neurocognitive assessments, our research provides novel insights that could pave the way for targeted interventions aimed at mitigating dementia risk in women who experience early menopause.”⁸

• Women bear a heavier burden of heart and brain diseases — Compared to men, women face a greater risk for both heart disease and Alzheimer’s.⁹ Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, and Alzheimer’s affects them nearly twice as often as men. These overlapping risks underscore the importance of understanding the heart-brain connection.

• A weaker heart function can quietly damage the brain — When the heart pumps less blood, the brain gets less oxygen and nutrients. This can lead to tissue damage, silent strokes, and higher dementia risk. The study reinforces that heart health and brain health are inseparable.¹⁰

• Earlier menopause adds a second hit — Menopause raises the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s later in life. Combined with reduced heart function, this creates a “double hit” that may accelerate brain aging and structural changes long before symptoms appear.¹¹

• Early menopause and perimenopause differ in timing — Perimenopause is the transition phase before menopause, and is marked by irregular cycles, hot flashes, and mood changes. On the other hand, early menopause occurs before age 45, often triggered by genetics, surgery, or medical conditions.¹²

• Key hormones that shape the transition — Most people think that menopause is largely estrogen-driven, but it’s so much more than that.

• The symptoms are multifaceted — Every woman’s experience with perimenopause and menopause is different. While usual symptoms include hot flashes and night sweats, it can also trigger sleep issues, mood shifts, and more.¹⁵

1. Only women who get their periods after 40 face menopause-related diseases — Women who stop menstruating before 40 due to premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) face even greater health risks. POI occurs when the ovaries stop working properly, causing irregular periods and early menopause symptoms.

Separate research shows women with POI are two to three times more likely to develop severe autoimmune conditions such as Type 1 diabetes, lupus, overactive thyroid, and inflammatory bowel disease compared with the general population.¹⁶

2. Menopause is manageable and can be treated with medications — The sad reality is that most women don’t receive adequate support during menopause, not because they don’t need it, but because they aren’t offered enough options.

According to Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified ob-gyn and certified menopause specialist from Tulane University:¹⁷

“The painful reality for many patients is that clinicians repeatedly fail to recognize their symptoms of menopause that extend beyond the classic vasomotor symptom of hot flashes …

Women frequently find themselves referred to numerous specialists to address the multitude of symptoms associated with menopause, with each symptom being tackled individually; clinicians unable to connect the dots, akin to playing a game of whack-a-mole with symptoms. How is this reality not the ultimate in over-medicalization?

… And in the series, alternative pharmaceuticals, such as anticholinergics, SSRIs, statin therapy, pain medications, osteoporosis drugs, neurokinin receptor agonists are painted as all benefit and little risk. Patients then are left with a cabinet full of prescription medications, costly medical bills and negligible relief.”

She also included in her critique of Lancet’s “empowerment model” that a staggering 90% of women were never educated about menopause,¹⁸ over 73% aren’t aware they have the ability to treat their symptoms,¹⁹ and that in the U.S., only 7% of ob-gyns, internists and family medicine doctors feel prepared to treat a menopausal woman.²⁰

3. Only severe symptoms should be treated — The saying goes: “Menopause is inevitable, but suffering is not.” Even mild or moderate symptoms can disrupt daily life. If something feels off, it may be worth exploring treatment options with a trusted health provider.

Some changes, like bone loss or early signs of heart disease, may only show up in preventive screenings. There’s no need to wait for symptoms to become severe. And menopause isn’t just physical. Hormonal shifts can affect mood, memory, and focus.²¹

4. Once menopause starts, the fun stops — Menopause may be the end of one chapter in a woman’s life, but it can also be a new beginning. While these hormone changes alter the body, many women find this stage brings freedom, clarity, and renewed energy.²²

5. Everyone needs estrogen therapy — Menopausal hormone therapy is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Some women do better with nonhormonal options. The right choice depends on age, timing, symptoms, and personal risk factors.²³

• Estrogen may increase dementia risk, not reduce it — A 2024 study published in JAMA Neurology²⁴ found that women treated with estrogen receptor antagonists or aromatase inhibitors had a significantly lower risk of developing dementia. This contradicts the long-standing assumption that estrogen protects brain health.

• Estrogen isn’t always what it’s made out to be — It’s often described as the hormone women lose during menopause — something to be replaced to restore youthfulness and protect the brain. But that narrative doesn’t hold up under closer scrutiny. According to bioenergetic researcher Georgi Dinkov, estrogen’s primary role is to aid in tissue repair by reverting cells to a stem-like state.

While this is useful in the short term, it becomes problematic when the signal isn’t turned off. In young women, progesterone helps regulate estrogen’s effects. In men, androgens do the same. However, both progesterone and androgens decline with age, while estrogen synthesis continues.

“Every cell in the body expresses the enzyme aromatase and contains the machinery to synthesize its own estrogen from circulating precursors like cholesterol, which rises with age … So if we test tissues, even in menopausal women, we often see increased estrogen — especially in those with health issues — not less,” Dinkov explains.

• Low estrogen in the blood doesn’t always mean the body is deficient — Many cells can produce estrogen locally, and this form doesn’t circulate back into the bloodstream. The genuine concern is the age-related decline in other hormones that regulate or balance estrogen, including progesterone, androgens, and thyroid hormones. Without those counterbalancing forces, estrogen’s growth-promoting effects can become excessive if left unchecked.

• Hot flashes may stem from low progesterone, not low estrogen — Night sweats and hot flashes are more likely linked to low progesterone. Supporting progesterone, not estrogen, may be the key to easing these symptoms and improving sleep.

While mainstream institutions continue to recommend FDA-approved hormone therapy for menopause, alternative research is beginning to challenge that approach. One example is a 2023 Canada-wide randomized, placebo-controlled study published in Scientific Reports that showed promising results for progesterone. As the researchers noted:²⁵

“Participants on progesterone perceived significantly greater decreases in overall night sweats and improved sleep quality versus those on placebo. Perimenopausal interference with daily activities also significantly decreased on daily progesterone therapy. Progesterone is biologically identical to the lower progesterone levels occurring in perimenopause.”

• Estrogen excess may drive chronic disease — While menopause is often described as a state of estrogen deficiency, emerging research suggests the opposite may be true. In Dinkov’s blog, “To Extract Knowledge From Matter,” which was inspired by the work of the late Dr. Ray Peat, he explains that menopause is a condition of estrogen excess and highlights the benefits of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) supplementation:

“All in all, based on this study, one can/should conclude that: 1) menopause is NOT a condition of estrogen deficiency, but rather an excess; 2) an antiestrogen is thus likely beneficial for most/all symptoms of menopause; 3) osteoporosis, obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes, even in absence of menopause, are likely driven by excess estrogen and opposing estrogen can be beneficial; 4) DHEA mimics the effects of an antiestrogen when used in proper doses and is synergistic when used with an antiestrogen.”²⁶

• Stay active — Exercise regularly and include weight-bearing activities that engage the feet. Even walking, dancing, or running can make a difference.²⁷

• Implement a bioenergetic diet — Choose foods that help the body burn glucose as its primary fuel without backing up electrons in the mitochondria. This supports ATP production, lowers stress hormones, and helps shift away from estrogen dominance. My book, “Your Guide to Cellular Health: Unlocking the Science of Longevity and Joy,” explains this in detail.

• Cook with stable, saturated fats, not seed oils — Processed foods often contain vegetable oils like soybean, canola, corn, sunflower, and safflower, which are high in linoleic acid (LA), a polyunsaturated fat (PUF) that disrupts hormonal balance and mitochondrial function. To reduce your intake, opt for heat-stable, nutrient-rich fats like ghee and beef tallow. Keep LA below 5 grams daily, ideally under 2 grams, and use a nutrition tracker to monitor your intake.

• Rethink your exposure to hidden hormone disruptors — Nearly 1,000 everyday items contain estrogen-mimicking compounds like xenoestrogens. These endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in microplastics, personal care products, and household cleaners.

To minimize exposure, opt for natural and organic personal care products, and carefully review labels for the presence of parabens and phthalates. Swap conventional cleaners for nontoxic alternatives, such as vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils.

Reduce plastic, especially for food and drinks, by switching to glass or stainless steel, and avoid heating food in plastic. Filter your tap water to remove microplastics, and boil hard water for five minutes to lower microplastic content.²⁸

• Take progesterone to counteract excess estrogen — Take transmucosal progesterone (applied to the gums), which acts as a natural estrogen antagonist. I’ve outlined a detailed guide on this in the next section.