Everyday Wellness: Midlife Hormones, Menopause, and Science for Women 35+

Ep. 531 Your Heart’s Not Just Skipping Beats – The Shocking Truth About Palpitations in Women | Women's Cardiovascular Health with Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj

12 snips

Dec 20, 2025

Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, a board-certified interventional cardiologist turned functional medicine practitioner, discusses the often-misunderstood issue of heart palpitations in women. He explains how hormonal changes during perimenopause can affect heart rhythms. The conversation explores red flags for serious arrhythmias, the importance of a thorough medical history, and the role of lifestyle modifications like magnesium supplementation. Dr. Bhojraj also dives into genetic factors and the benefits of wearable technology for monitoring heart health.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

How Palpitations Arise

Palpitations reflect disruptions in the heart's electrical system driven by ion channels and impulses anywhere along the wiring.
Hormonal fluctuations in perimenopause can alter ion pump function and provoke palpitations.

ANECDOTE

Lyme Caused Intermittent Heart Block

A woman with intermittent syncope and a new murmur turned out to have late Lyme causing intermittent complete heart block.
Dr. Sanjay placed a pacemaker and her episodes resolved, showing the value of thorough history and prolonged monitoring.

INSIGHT

PET Hormones Alter Heart Electrics

Progesterone, estrogen and testosterone (PET) affect ion channel speed and EKG intervals, altering repolarization and arrhythmia risk.
Perimenopausal hormone swings therefore create microscopic electrical instability in the heart.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

I am thrilled to reconnect with Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj today. Dr. Bhojraj is a board-certified interventional cardiologist who became a pioneer in functional medicine.

In our conversation, we dive into palpitations, which are a common complaint among perimenopausal and menopausal women. We explore red flag symptoms, the physiological effects of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone as they relate to heart arrhythmias, EKG changes during the perimenopause-to-menopause transition, and wearable technologies. We unpack the differences between benign and more concerning arrhythmias, risk factors for atrial fibrillation, and the process of taking a thorough history, ordering the correct tests, and using imaging or sleep studies when appropriate. We cover treatment pathways, from lifestyle modifications to medications, channelopathies, and the genetic propensities for conditions such as Long QT, Brugada Syndrome, WPW (Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome), and sudden cardiac death. We also highlight the importance of genetic testing for individuals with a family history of those conditions.

Today’s conversation with Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj is full of practical wisdom and clinical pearls, so you will most likely want to listen to it more than once.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL LEARN:

Why thyroid function should always be taken into account when assessing heart rhythm issues
How stress and life circumstances can trigger palpitations
The benefits of magnesium supplementation for supporting heart health
What ventricular arrhythmias (from the bottom chambers) and atrial arrhythmias (from the top chambers) are commonly related to
The value of monitoring for identifying the nature and severity of arrhythmias
How sleep apnea can increase the risk of arrhythmia
The importance of exercise, stress management, and healthy lifestyle habits for supporting heart rhythm
Why certain arrhythmias may require procedural interventions
Why various types of athletic activity matter when evaluating arrhythmias
How genetic factors can impact specialized heart assessments

Connect with Cynthia Thurlow

Follow on X, Instagram & LinkedIn
Check out Cynthia’s website
Submit your questions to support@cynthiathurlow.com
Join other like-minded women in a supportive, nurturing community (The Midlife Pause/Cynthia Thurlow)
Cynthia’s Menopause Gut Book is on presale now!
Cynthia’s Intermittent Fasting Transformation Book
The Midlife Pause supplement line

Connect with Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj

On his website
On social media: @DoctorSanjayMD
The Curious Cardiologist Podcast