Your Heart Doesn't Wait for Menopause to Start Worrying

Key Takeaways

• ✦Health decline at menopause is not inevitable — a new NAMS journal paper argues that framing itself is doing harm, and the evidence backs it up.
• ✦The Framingham Heart Study found that pulse pressure, a key marker of cardiovascular stress, starts rising years before a woman's last period — not after it.
• ✦A 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial found ashwagandha improved sleep quality, menopausal symptoms, and body composition in postmenopausal women compared to placebo.
• ✦The heart risk window during perimenopause is under-recognized and under-discussed in routine medical care — which means women are missing years of potential intervention time.
• ✦Not all supplements are snake oil — but the ones worth paying attention to are the ones with rigorous trial data, not just testimonials and a sleek website.