I’m so excited (and proud!) to share that my book the Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause has debuted at #8 in the Sunday Times Bestseller Non-fiction Paperback list in the first week of publication! A huge thank you to everyone who has bought a book, attended one of my talks, left a review or shared your pictures of you reading your copy of this revised and updated paperback edition. And special thanks to everyone who contributed, my publishers @YellowKiteBooks, @CWAgencyUK, my colleagues and my wonderful family who have supported me all the way. The new edition has been updated with the very latest information to help empower you through your perimenopause and menopause – if you’ve bought a copy, I’d love to hear how it’s helping you!

If you’ve seen the headlines this morning debating whether menopause is a disease and being over-medicalised, this video explains my thoughts. Menopause is more than a collection of symptoms; it is a cardiometabolic and inflammatory condition which leads to an increased risk of numerous diseases. Menopause has been ‘medicalised’ for years – including with antidepressants, antipsychotics, painkillers, sleeping tablets, anticholinergics to treat bladder symptoms, and heart medications to lower cholesterol, reduce blood pressure and control palpitations. The first-line treatment for menopausal symptoms is body-identical HRT. Studies have shown that when women are given the right dose and type of hormones, their symptoms improve, and they have a lower future risk of numerous long-term inflammatory diseases associated with menopause including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, dementia, and depression as well as early death. Talking about menopause as being a ‘natural transition’ or part of ‘healthy ageing’ ignores the very real suffering of many women with menopausal symptoms.

For far too long, women have been unnecessarily scared of HRT and often don’t realise the health benefits that come with taking HRT. It’s common for the risks to be overstated and the benefits overlooked, so we have taken the best available evidence to create two visual aids to help you understand the long-term benefits and risks. Our doctors at my clinic will be using these within consultations so women can agree a treatment plan they are confident is right for them. If you’d like to take a look at the documents, we have also added them as a download on my @balanceMeno website here: balance-menopause.com/menopa…