The Dr Louise Newson Podcast

Dr Louise Newson

Have a menopause question? You’ll find the answers here. Join me, GP and Menopause Specialist Dr Louise Newson, for the definitive perimenopause and menopause podcast. Each week I’m joined by a special guest for the lowdown on the latest research and treatments, bust myths and share inspirational stories. This podcast is brought to you by the Newson Health Group, which has clinics across the UK dedicated to providing personalised perimenopause and menopause care for all women. It funds cutting-edge menopause research and creates clinical-led education programmes for healthcare professionals. It also funds the award-winning balance menopause support app, which provides free menopause resources and support to millions of people worldwide, empowering and enabling women to have choice and control over their perimenopause and menopause treatment. read less
Health & FitnessHealth & Fitness
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Episodes

279: Heart health, hormones and menopause: what you need to know, with Dr Jeremy London
Oct 22 2024
279: Heart health, hormones and menopause: what you need to know, with Dr Jeremy London
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women and this risk increases after the menopause, and a woman’s risk of heart attack is around five times higher after the menopause than before*. Joining Louise on this week’s podcast is Dr Jeremy London, a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon based in the US, to discuss heart health, hormones and menopause. They discuss the role of oestrogen in reducing inflammation in the body, why women typically present with different heart attack symptoms compared to men – and the signs to look out for – and the crucial role of nutrition and exercise in maintaining good heart health. Finally, Dr London shares his top three tips on what women (and men!) can do to help their future cardiac health: Don't smoke: it is the single worst thing you can do for your health in general. From a cardiac standpoint, from a blood vessel standpoint, for the risk of lung cancer.Nutrition: avoid processed foods and eat real, whole foods.Exercise and recovery: look to incorporate resistance training and some aerobic training, and don’t forget about recovery and prioritising sleep.*El Khoudary, S.R. et al. (2020), Boardman, H. et al. (2015). Follow Dr London on Instagram @drjeremylondon For more information on Newson Health, click here. Dr Louise Newson’s first-ever live theatre tour, Hormones and Menopause – The Great Debate, runs until 12 November. For more information and tickets, click here.
268 - Skin, hair and nail changes in menopause: a dermatologist’s guide
Aug 6 2024
268 - Skin, hair and nail changes in menopause: a dermatologist’s guide
This week, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Claudia DeGiovanni, a consultant dermatologist with a keen interest in the menopause. Dr Claudia has published a four-part review on the effect of menopause on skin and hair and has carried out research into the effect of menopausal skin issues on quality of life. Here she talks about the prevalence of skin issues in menopause and their causes, the significance of oestrogen and what to look out for in products and what to avoid. Finally, she shares three tips for menopausal skin: If you have got significant skin problems, if it's affecting your quality of life, seek help, see your GP, see a dermatologist, get a diagnosis and find some accurate treatments because we will take you seriously. Look at your skincare routine and be aware of how your skin is changing. It’s likely to become more sensitive so avoid harsh exfoliants or anything that strips the skin of moisture, and include a good quality SPF into your regime. When choosing products it’s more important to look at the ingredients list, and choose quality ingredients such as ceramides and hyaluronic acid, than buying those labelled for menopause.You can follow Dr Claudia on Instagram @dr.degiovanni_dermatology and read her paper on menopause and skin disorders here. There is a chapter dedicated to skin and hair in menopause in Dr Louise’s bestselling book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause. Order your copy by clicking here. Click here for more about Newson Health.
267 - Easy when you know how: menopause care in Australia
Jul 30 2024
267 - Easy when you know how: menopause care in Australia
This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Ceri Cashell, a GP in Australia who specialises in female hormonal health. After completing Newson Health’s Confidence in Menopause course, Dr Ceri became passionate about educating both patients and fellow healthcare professionals about the importance of hormones, and busting myths around HRT. Here she talks about the advantages of longer consultations with patients and shares the things she thinks it’s important for healthcare professionals to know so they can improve their care of perimenopausal and menopausal women:  Understand that menopause can affect women of a wide range of ages, and to consider perimenopause when you are presented with multiple-system symptom clusters.Simplify your HRT regime. Use body identical hormones, oestradiol patches, gels or sprays, micronised progesterone and consider testosterone. Understand that women don't all absorb medication through the skin the same so you may need to tweak the doses.Know that not all oestrogens and progestogens are the same. The oestrogen in body identical HRT on its own has been shown to reduce the lifetime risk of breast cancer, while the body identical progesterone is not associated with any increased risk of breast cancer in the best data.Testosterone is licensed for loss of libido, but in clinical practice does seem to really help other symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and can really be a gamechanger.If you do prescribe more HRT, you'll see the most transformational medicine that you've probably ever encountered.You can follow Dr Ceri on Instagram @drcericashell Find out more about the Confidence in Menopause course here and the balance app symptom checker mentioned on the podcast here Click here to find out more about Newson Health
266 - Team GB’s Desirèe Henry: the Olympics, hormones and body positivity
Jul 23 2024
266 - Team GB’s Desirèe Henry: the Olympics, hormones and body positivity
This week Dr Louise is joined by sprinter Desirèe Henry who is representing Team GB at the Paris Olympics this year. Desirèe is no stranger to the Olympics – she was one of seven young athletes who lit the Olympic caldron at the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Games, plus she took home a bronze medal in the 4 X 100m relay at the 2016 Rio Games. And she’ll be heading to Paris on a high after being part of Team GB’s gold medal-winning women’s 4x100m relay team at the European Athletics Championships in Rome in June. Desirèe talks about the challenges of competing throughout the menstrual cycle and coping with heavy periods, plus the importance of talking openly about these issues, maintaining a healthy weight and body positivity. Finally, Desirèe shares three tips to help you lead a happier and healthier life: Set one goal every day. It doesn’t have to be anything big, it could be drinking water or having a piece of fruit every day, but it's something that will add up over the week and benefit your lifestyle in a positive way.Try to incorporate exercise into your lifestyle. It could be watching a YouTube yoga video or anything that just allows your body to move, that increases blood flow around the body and helps you get in some extra stretching.Check in on other people more often. Just find out how they are and show them that somebody cares – you’ll be appreciated.You can follow Desirèe on Instagram @desiree_lh Click here to find out more about Newson Health
263 - Dr Corinne Menn: I’m a doctor who’s had breast cancer – here’s what I want you to know
Jul 2 2024
263 - Dr Corinne Menn: I’m a doctor who’s had breast cancer – here’s what I want you to know
This week on the podcast, Dr Louise is joined by Dr Corinne Menn, a New York-based, board-certified OB-GYN and North American Menopause Society Certified Menopause Practitioner, with more than 20 years of experience caring for women. When she was 28, Corinne was diagnosed with breast cancer. Following her BRCA2+ diagnosis, she underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy then navigated pregnancy and menopause plus longer term survivorship issues. Corinne received support from the Young Survival Coalition, an organisation that advocates for women under 40 with breast cancer, and worked with her oncologists to manage her pregnancy, menopause and treatment options. She feels passionately that women who have or have had breast cancer receive individualised care and treatment for their cancer and menopause symptoms, and shares three tips to help with quality of life:    Do not minimise your menopausal symptoms, your hot flushes, your night sweats, sleep etc. So whether you use hormonal therapy or non-hormonal medications, make sure you get help and can sleep so you function better and breaking the vicious cycle of spiralling menopausal symptoms. Please do not neglect vaginal sexual health. Again, if you can preserve a little bit of that, it can stop a negative cycle of suffering, of urinary tract infections and relationship and intimacy issues. Scheduling time to have a separate appointment with your oncologist and your GYN. Come prepared. Listen to Louise's podcast. Listen to Menopause in Cancer podcast and Instagram page. Be empowered because you and your quality of life are worth it.You can follow Corinne on Instagram at @drmennobgyn Click here to find out more about Newson Health.
262 - Acne: from teen years to menopause and beyond
Jun 25 2024
262 - Acne: from teen years to menopause and beyond
This week on the podcast with Dr Louise, Consultant Dermatologist Dr Sajjad Rajpar returns to talk about acne and its effect on women during the perimenopause and menopause, including on their self-confidence and mental health. Dr Saj explains the causes of acne and the different treatments available, including an encouraging new treatment that could make a big difference to acne sufferers in the long term. Finally, Dr Saj shares his three tips for anyone who might have acne: Keep skincare simple and targeted. Pick one of three active ingredients – retinoids, benzoyl peroxide or azelaic acid – and give it three to six months to work. Only supplement it with a very simple supporting skincare regime.Assess the impact of the acne – if it is leaving persistent blemishes, pigmentation or scars, then escalate the treatment. If the first line treatment hasn’t worked, give it three months and see a medical professional to try to get it under control because prevention of scars is so much easier than trying to reverse and cure them.Be mindful about all the different risk factors and triggers, and do not underestimate the impact of diet and stress. Where we can treat acne holistically, we should.You can follow Dr Saj on Instagram @dr.rajpar_dermatologist There is a chapter dedicated to skin and hair in menopause in Dr Louise’s bestselling book, The Definitive Guide to the Perimenopause and Menopause, which includes expert contributions by Dr Saj. Order your copy by clicking here. Click here to find out more about Newson Health