An Integrative Cardiologist's Guide to Menopause & Heart Health
Exploring the intersection of heart health and menopause
An Integrative Cardiologist's Guide to Menopause & Heart Health
Exploring the intersection of heart health and menopause
In Episode 36 of the podcast, Dr. Polly Watson sits down with renowned cardiologist Dr. Regina Druz to discuss a critical but often overlooked intersection of menopause and heart health. While hot flashes and night sweats dominate conversations around menopause, cardiovascular risk is quietly rising and not getting enough attention. Dr. Druz explains that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, and menopause significantly amplifies traditional risk factors like high blood pressure, weight gain, and elevated cholesterol. Many women are surprised when their cholesterol levels spike despite maintaining healthy habits. According to Dr. Druz, this often results from hormonal changes that impact lipid metabolism, leading to a dangerous combination of high ApoB, low HDL, and high triglycerides – a trio she calls the “dyslipidemic triad.”
“Menopause doesn’t create new risk factors – it amplifies ones that are already there.”
The episode dives deep into how ectopic fat deposits, especially around the heart, can become inflamed and trigger heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and even heart failure. Dr. Watson and Dr. Druz also highlight underrecognized conditions like Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (“broken heart syndrome”), which disproportionately affects midlife women. They discuss how wearable tech and advanced diagnostics can help women track symptoms like rapid heart rate and palpitations. Dr. Druz emphasizes the need for a personalized approach to risk assessment, incorporating genetic testing, coronary calcium scores, and newer markers like Lp(a) and homocysteine.
Watch The Conversation!
Key Takeaways:
- Menopause amplifies traditional heart risk factors like high blood pressure, weight gain, and insulin resistance, even in otherwise healthy women.
- Hormone-related fat deposits around the heart can become inflamed and raise risks of heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and coronary disease.
- Tools like coronary calcium scores, genetic testing, and polygenic risk scores provide a deeper look at cardiovascular health beyond basic labs.
In Episode 36 of the podcast, Dr. Polly Watson sits down with renowned cardiologist Dr. Regina Druz to discuss a critical but often overlooked intersection of menopause and heart health. While hot flashes and night sweats dominate conversations around menopause, cardiovascular risk is quietly rising and not getting enough attention. Dr. Druz explains that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, and menopause significantly amplifies traditional risk factors like high blood pressure, weight gain, and elevated cholesterol. Many women are surprised when their cholesterol levels spike despite maintaining healthy habits. According to Dr. Druz, this often results from hormonal changes that impact lipid metabolism, leading to a dangerous combination of high ApoB, low HDL, and high triglycerides – a trio she calls the “dyslipidemic triad.”
“Menopause doesn’t create new risk factors – it amplifies the ones that are already there.”
The episode dives deep into how ectopic fat deposits, especially around the heart, can become inflamed and trigger heart disease, atrial fibrillation, and even heart failure. Dr. Watson and Dr. Druz also highlight underrecognized conditions like Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (“broken heart syndrome”), which disproportionately affects midlife women. They discuss how wearable tech and advanced diagnostics can help women track symptoms like rapid heart rate and palpitations. Dr. Druz emphasizes the need for a personalized approach to risk assessment, incorporating genetic testing, coronary calcium scores, and newer markers like Lp(a) and homocysteine.
The key message? Women need to advocate for themselves. If something feels off – whether it’s unexplained fatigue, chest discomfort, or irregular heartbeats – it deserves investigation, not dismissal. With the right information and support, women can take control of their heart health and thrive well into the second half of life.
Quotes:
- “More women die of heart disease than of breast cancer.” – Dr. Polly Watson
- “Menopause doesn’t create new risk factors – it amplifies the ones that are already there.” – Dr. Regina Druz
- “We spend 40% of our lives in post-menopause. Do we want to be vibrant or in the ER with hypertensive urgency?” – Dr. Regina Druz
Resources: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast-resources
Disclaimer: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast#Disclaimer
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
Meet the Guest Speaker!
Dr. Regina Druz is not just a cardiologist – she’s a trailblazer in the movement toward precision-based, longevity-focused medicine. As CEO and founder of Holistic Heart Centers™, she is redefining heart health through a cutting-edge fusion of integrative cardiology, functional medicine, and digital innovation. With a medical degree from Cornell University, board certification in cardiology, and advanced training in functional medicine, Dr. Druz brings scientific depth and systems-thinking to every patient encounter. Her proprietary program, Fit in Your GENES®, personalizes care through genetic and metabolic profiling, offering clients a transformative roadmap to vitality and healthspan extension.
After earning a dual Executive MBA and Master of Health Policy and Research from Cornell, she went on to lead value-based cardiology transformation at the national level. Today, she applies that strategic vision to build scalable models of care that are personalized, proactive, and precision-driven. Dr. Druz is driven by data, powered by purpose, and rooted in compassion.
I help patients and healthcare systems move beyond risk management to true health optimization.
Meet the host!
Dr. Polly Watson is a board certified OBGYN who has additional training in menopausal medicine, sexual medicine and functional medicine.
She looks forward to sharing her knowledge with you to help find a solution to address the imbalance in your system and restore your health.
In 2019 I left my job as an employed physician with a large organization and started Hormone Wellness MD. I started with no staff working out of a single room. Since then, my staff has grown to a team of 5 and we’ve helped over 1,100 people on their health journey.
Meet the Guest!
Dr. Regina Druz is not just a cardiologist – she’s a trailblazer in the movement toward precision-based, longevity-focused medicine. As CEO and founder of Holistic Heart Centers™, she is redefining heart health through a cutting-edge fusion of integrative cardiology, functional medicine, and digital innovation. With a medical degree from Cornell University, board certification in cardiology, and advanced training in functional medicine, Dr. Druz brings scientific depth and systems-thinking to every patient encounter. Her proprietary program, Fit in Your GENES®, personalizes care through genetic and metabolic profiling, offering clients a transformative roadmap to vitality and healthspan extension.
After earning a dual Executive MBA and Master of Health Policy and Research from Cornell, she went on to lead value-based cardiology transformation at the national level. Today, she applies that strategic vision to build scalable models of care that are personalized, proactive, and precision-driven. Dr. Druz is driven by data, powered by purpose, and rooted in compassion.
I help patients and healthcare systems move beyond risk management to true health optimization.
