Learn how menopause symptoms affect diabetes control and what you can do about it
Going through menopause can be a trying experience for any woman. But if you have early menopause—meaning your last period occurs at age 45 or younger—the hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain, and other unpleasant symptoms may be joined by something even more serious: diabetes.
According to research recently published in the journal Diabetologia, early menopause is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. After analyzing nine years’ worth of data from over 3,500 women who had participated in a study in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, the researchers found that:
- Women who entered menopause before age 40 were 4 times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who entered menopause after age 55
- Women who entered menopause between ages 40 and 44 were 2.4 times as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who entered menopause after age 55
These results were consistent even when the data was adjusted to account for factors such as obesity and hormone levels.
Evaluate Your Risk Now
This recent research serves to highlight the fact that menopause is a critical time to evaluate women’s risk for type 2 diabetes. This is true for all women—regardless of whether or not you have experienced early menopause and are therefore at an elevated risk.
Why Controlling Menopause Symptoms Is Vital for Diabetic Women
If you are diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes, controlling your menopause symptoms will be about more than ensuring your comfort. It will actually be vital for controlling your diabetes and preserving your health.
Here are some aspects of menopause that are of particular concern for diabetic women:
- Hormone Imbalance: As estrogen and progesterone decline at menopause, testosterone can increase. Both of these changes can cause difficulty for diabetics. High testosterone is associated with insulin resistance, while low estrogen and progesterone can cause more unpredictable fluctuations in blood sugar.
- Weight Gain: Being overweight makes diabetes harder to control. Unfortunately, weight gain is a common problem for menopausal women due to changes in metabolism and due to the fact that the body will try to compensate for reduced estrogen production by getting estrogen from fat cells.
- Sleep Problems: Night sweats and insomnia can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep during menopause. Sleep deprivation can make blood sugar control more difficult.
Renew Youth Can Help
At Renew Youth, we offer comprehensive menopause treatment to address the hormonal imbalance that is behind your symptoms and help prevent them from affecting your diabetes. We also offer supplements, injectable nutrients, and dietary advice that can help you manage your blood sugar more effectively during menopause. To learn more, please contact us at 800-859-7511.