There's a condition that leads to an increased risk of heart disease, dementia, and early death that's been affecting people for as long as they've existed. The many symptoms can severely impact quality of life - ranging from headaches and memory problems to anxiety and weight gain. 

This condition affects more than half of the world's population, but unbelievably its rarely discussed and the scientific research that exists on it is limited. 

It's called menopause, and it affects 1.2 billion women worldwide. It's not a disease, but the effects can be just as serious for some women.

Jonathan talks to the British doctor who's working to educate us about menopause and bring the discussion on the topic into the mainstream.

Dr Louise Newson is a GP, menopause specialist and founder of the Newson Health Menopause & Wellbeing Center. Director of the Balance Menopause App and the non-profit Newson Health Research and Education. Founder of The Menopause Charity.

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Timecodes:

00:00 - Intro

00:09 - Jonathan Intro

01:11 - Episode start

01:24 - What is menopause and why is it important for Dr Louise

04:17 - Being hormone-deficient is bleak

07:27 - The overall scale of menopause

12:41 - What is HRT?

17:24 - How little menopause is talked about

19:30 - Dr Louise’s push for menopause understanding & education

23:02 -What’s the accurate test for perimenopause?

28:10 - Understanding hormone deficiency symptoms

31:58 - What else can you do besides HRT: Nutrition considerations

41:09 - Does your body shape change while menopausal?

41:55 - Summary

44:06 - Goodbyes

44:31 - Outro

Episode transcripts can be found here.

Dr Louise’s non-profit organisation about improving and understanding women’s hormone health: https://www.nhmenopausesociety.org

Check Dr Louise’s app on perimenopause and menopause: https://www.balance-menopause.com

Follow Louise: https://twitter.com/drlouisenewson

Follow ZOE on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoe/

This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.