Dr. Amy Killen just revealed that depression and suicide rates rise in women during perimenopause. She says most of these women have no idea their hormones are even causing it. Here's a short breakdown on what perimenopause is and what women can do when it happens: Perimenopause can start as early as age 35. It is the 2 to 10 years before menopause when estrogen starts crashing up and down unpredictably and progesterone steadily declines. Killen describes it as falling off a hormonal cliff. The symptoms hit everywhere at once. • Anxiety • Insomnia • Depression • Weight gain • Palpitations • Inability to find words • Tingling sensations through out the body She says women end up seeing a cardiologist for the palpitations, a neurologist for the tingling, a psychiatrist for the depression. Each doctor writes a separate prescription. But all of it is being driven by one thing - hormonal decline. Killen says if you replace the hormones, you can often eliminate the need for all those prescriptions. Many women describe looking in the mirror during this time and not recognizing the person staring back. She says this is a dangerous time for women and no one is preparing them for it. — Dr. Amy Killen (@DrAmyBKillen)

I interviewed a board-certified physician specialized in women's hormones and longevity. Dr. Amy Killen shared 10 surprising insights every woman needs to hear to live healthier, more youthful and longer: 1) Women can lose up to 30% of brain energy at 35 years old