Hi Andy,
When women enter perimenopause, we hear a lot about changes in our periods, sleep, weight, mood, and energy.
What we hear much less about is that estrogen also affects the arteries, which means the cardiovascular system is moving through this transition too.
So while we are trying to make sense of hot flashes, fatigue, stress, or a body that suddenly feels unfamiliar, changes may also be happening in the heart and blood vessels. Yet because so much cardiovascular research was built around male biology, women can still have their risk underestimated or be told everything looks “normal” without getting the full picture.
This week on The Ovary Club, I sit down with preventive cardiologist Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, founder of Heart-Tech Health, to talk about what perimenopause may be changing inside the arteries, which symptoms women are still being taught to dismiss, and why this window matters for our future heart health.
In this episode, we cover:
- Why perimenopause may be a critical window for protecting your future heart health.
- Why symptoms blamed on stress, hormones, or aging may deserve a cardiovascular evaluation.
- How pregnancy complications, metabolic health, and chronic stress can shape heart risk years later.
- Why a standard cardiac workup may not always tell the full story.
If you are in perimenopause, have ever been told your symptoms are “probably stress,” or know a woman who still feels something is wrong after being told everything looks fine, forward her this episode.
The earlier we understand how hormones and heart health connect, the earlier we can ask better questions and take action.
With love to your ovaries,
