Address common concerns about side effects, low-dose strategies, and supportive supplementation for those who do use statins.

Address common concerns about side effects, low-dose strategies, and supportive supplementation for those who do use statins.

In this episode, Kate Willis, NP-C, alongside Dr. Polly Watson, discusses the complexities of statin therapy, cardiovascular risk assessment, and personalized prevention strategies in midlife women. Kate highlights the importance of understanding your individual risk profile—including biomarkers like ApoB and lipoprotein(a), metabolic health, and reproductive history—rather than making decisions based on LDL alone.

“LDL matters. It is not the only factor, but it matters,” says Kate Willis, NP-C

The episode covers the evolution of statin research, the difference between relative and absolute risk reduction, and current guideline recommendations for who truly benefits from statin therapy. Dr. Watson and Kate shed light on the importance of shared decision-making, deeper cardiovascular testing, and early lifestyle intervention. Together, they emphasize that heart disease prevention in midlife is not about one-size-fits-all prescriptions—it’s about informed conversations, proactive metabolic care, and using both lifestyle and medication thoughtfully to protect long-term heart health.

With a balanced, both-and approach, this episode empowers women in midlife to understand their individual risk, have more informed conversations with their providers, and take proactive steps—through lifestyle, targeted interventions, and thoughtful medical care—to protect long-term heart health.

• “The norms on labs are developed looking at populations. They are not developed necessarily looking at healthy populations.” – Kate Willis, NP
• “If you are not paying attention to your cardiovascular risk factors at midlife, you’re missing a huge opportunity. Heart disease is the most common killer of women in the United States and globally.” – Dr. Polly Watson
• “Insulin resistance is an area where we have so much agency. This is one that really responds to nutrition and lifestyle changes.” – Kate Willis, NP
• “Half of people who have a heart attack have a normal LDL cholesterol. Looking at other markers is so important because we’re missing half the people.” – Dr. Polly Watson

Resources: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast-resources

Disclaimer: https://hormonewellnessmd.com/podcast#Disclaimer

Kate Willis, NP-C, IFMCP is a virtual nurse practitioner for Hormone Wellness MD. She’s been working in women’s health for 15 years in the field of gynecologic oncology and sexual wellness.

In 2021, Kate received her certification through the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), and is thankful for such solid and evidence-based training. She uses it daily in her care for patients as she works to address the root cause of disease and dysfunction in the body. As of 2024, she is also a Menopause Society Certified nurse practitioner who is ready to help with your perimenopause and menopause questions. Click here to become a patient!