Hormone Health Hub: Expert Insights on Testing, Balance & Better Living — menopause and stroke risk

Early menopause affects around 5% of women aged 40 to 45, yet it is frequently misdiagnosed or dismissed. Surgical menopause — triggered by removal of both ovaries — can occur at any age and brings an abrupt loss of both oestrogen and testosterone. This article combines a first-person account of early and surgical menopause with a clinical overview of causes, health risks, and the importance of comprehensive hormone testing. Whether your menopause arrived early, unexpectedly, or surgically, understanding your hormone status is the essential first step towards effective, personalised treatment.

The Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trial cast a long shadow over hormone replacement therapy — but it enrolled women well over a decade past menopause. Two newer trials, ELITE and KEEPS, specifically studied HRT started early in the postmenopausal period. Their findings on cardiovascular health, sexual function, sleep, mood and cognition paint a more nuanced and encouraging picture. Here is what the latest research shows.

Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful and All Dried Up — the seven dwarves of menopause are all too real for millions of women. But these symptoms aren’t inevitable. Undetected hormone imbalances are behind most of them, and testing is the first step to getting your good menopause back.