What Happens When Menopause Meets Diabetes

Hot flashes, blood sugar swings, brain fog... is it menopause, diabetes, or both?

In this episode of the TCOYD Podcast, Dr. Steve Edelman is joined by renowned menopause expert Dr. Cindy Stuenkel, endocrinologist and Professor Emerita at UC San Diego, for an insightful conversation about how menopause affects women living with diabetes. Together, they explain why menopause is much more than a normal stage of aging. It's a major metabolic transition that can influence blood sugar management, insulin resistance, heart health, sleep, mood, and overall quality of life.

The conversation explores what actually happens during perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, why hormonal fluctuations can make glucose management more challenging, and how continuous glucose monitoring can help distinguish hot flashes from hypoglycemia. Dr. Edelman and Dr. Stuenkel also discuss the latest evidence on hormone replacement therapy, newer non-hormonal treatment options, the importance of protecting heart health, and practical strategies to help women navigate this stage of life with greater confidence. Whether you're living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, approaching menopause, currently experiencing it, or supporting someone who is, this episode provides practical guidance and evidence-based information to help you feel more prepared.

Key Topics

• What is perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause?
• How hormonal changes affect blood sugar and insulin resistance
• Why menopause can increase glucose variability in women with diabetes
• The difference between hot flashes and hypoglycemia
• How continuous glucose monitoring can help during menopause
• Metabolic changes that occur during the menopause transition
• Why cardiovascular risk increases after menopause
• The connection between menopause, weight gain, and abdominal fat
• GLP-1 medications and menopause
• The latest recommendations on hormone replacement therapy
• New non-hormonal treatments for hot flashes
• Sleep, mood, brain fog, and quality of life during menopause
• Heart health strategies for women living with diabetes
• How partners can better support someone going through menopause
• Trusted menopause resources and when to seek medical care

Subscribe for practical diabetes management tips, expert conversations, and the latest advances in diabetes care to help people living with diabetes live healthier, more confident lives.

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