OB/GYN Dr. Liz Lyster joins Stacy to educate us about the role of hormones in aging and menopause, why we all may be experiencing “bursts” of aging in our mid-40s and early 60s, and why women must continue to advocate for themselves during these changes.
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Key Takeaways
Introductions
- Dr. Liz Lyster is an OB/GYN medical doctor, best-selling author and speaker, and an expert in perimenopause and menopause. In her private practice in the San Francisco Bay area, she helps women and men in midlife and beyond.
- She graduated from Cornell University, went to medical school at UC Irvine, and got her master’s degree at UCLA in Community Health Education.
- Furthermore, she is the founder of The Miracle of Menopause women’s network.
Bursts of Aging and Menopause
If a woman’s not feeling well, there is plenty that can be done. A lot of patients, by time they get to me, they’ve been told all sorts of horrible things. They’ve been told what I call the “j” word: You’re just getting older; you just have to live with it. They’ve been told that they just need to eat less and exercise more. Or they’ve been told these types of dismissive things. Very common is ‘well you’re still having your period, so it can’t be your hormones’. – Dr. Liz Lyster
Aging and Menopause
- Half of adult women in the US are over age 35, so it’s important to be talking about menstrual cycles, perimenopause (which can be 10+ years), and menopause. Dr. Christiane Northrup was one of the first and only doctors talking about menopause early on. Thankfully, it’s become a more public conversation.
- Dr. Liz notes that very simply, menopause happens once you’ve been 12 months without your period, or you’ve had your ovaries removed.
- Some of the symptoms of menopause include hot flashes and night sweats (estrogen or cortisol fluctuations), sleep disruption, mood changes, weight gain, brain fog, dryness (eyes, vaginal, etc.), and libido changes.
- In addition to fluctuations for women in progesterone (30s), estrogen (40s) and cortisol, other hormones change. In both men and women, after about age 20, testosterone, DHEA, growth hormone, and melatonin begin to decline.
- Stacy and Dr. Liz discuss the study that just came out that notes that at 44 and 60 appears to be “bursts” of aging. Dr. Liz notes that this study is not looking at the cause, but rather observing changes. Changes were noted in both men and women.
- Around age 40, in additional to biological factors, there is a confluence of factors and stressors like career and kids & parenting. And in the early 60s, for women it’s about a decade after a lot of changes have set in after hormones have declined (average age of menopause is 51).
What’s Next
- When looking to talk to a doctor about symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, Dr. Liz suggests:
- Assess the demeanor of the office staff, when inquiring over the phone or going in person
- Get in with a doctor, get established – it’s better to be an existing patient than a new patient
- Decide what matters most to you – general effectiveness, bedside manner, etc.
- Don’t be gaslit – if you’re not feeling well, there are things that can be done
- Dr. Liz believes one of the most important things women should work on is protecting their sleep. In addition, she encourages increasing protein, increasing strength exercise, and advocating for oneself. Stacy has found that cutting out caffeine and alcohol have helped with her symptoms.
- She also notes that using low doses of bioidentical hormones can help symptoms and does not commit a person to using them forever.
Studies, References, and Products
- The Miracle of Menopause women’s network
- Nonlinear dynamics of multi-omics profiles during human aging , Nature Aging
- PopularMechanics.com: Humans Are Rapidly Aging at 44 and 60, Scientists Say
- The Guardian: Scientists find humans age dramatically in two bursts – at 44, then 60
- The Whole View Menopause podcast Spotify playlist
- Menopause.org
- Sex Cells: The Fight to Overcome Bias and Discrimination in Women’s Healthcare by Phyllis Greenberger
- Hormone graph
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