In this week’s episode, Dr Louise Newson talks to Professor Mike Kirby, president of the British Society for Sexual Medicine and author of more than 450 clinical papers and 32 books. He was previously director of the Hertfordshire Primary Care Research Network, visiting professor to the Faculty of Health and Human Sciences at the University of Hertfordshire, and was attending physician to the Prostate Centre, London, where he dealt with complex medical problems until 2020.

Dr Newson and Professor Kirby discuss the importance of hormone health for both men and women, including testosterone. They also explore the benefits of phosphodiesterase inhibitors – which include Viagra – in treating not only erectile dysfunction, but their potential to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, urinary symptoms, dementia, and even cancer.

Professor Kirby is one of the speakers at the upcoming Newson Conference: The Hormone Blueprint, which will be held in London on 21 March. An event for healthcare professionals, the conference will delve into the far-reaching impact of hormones on the body. For more information and to book your place, click here.

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Content advisory: this episode includes themes of mental health and suicide

In this week’s podcast, Dr Louise Newson is joined by Consultant Psychiatrist Dr Rachel Jones to delve into the critical role hormones, particularly progesterone, play in women's mental health. They discuss the importance of understanding hormonal changes throughout a woman's life, the differences between natural and synthetic hormones, and the need for individualised treatment plans.

The conversation emphasises the significance of balancing hormones and considering lifestyle factors that impact mental health. Dr Louise and Dr Rachel share insights on how natural progesterone can help with mental health symptoms, including mood and anxiety, and encourage women not to give up on finding the right hormonal balance for them.

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Find out more about Dr Rachel on Instagram @the_hormone_clinic

Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Content advisory: this episode includes themes of mental health and suicide

In this episode, Dr Louise Newson speaks with Rachel Birch, a doctor who shares her personal journey of menopause, mental health and alcohol addiction. Rachel discusses the lack of training on menopause in medical education, her experiences with anxiety and depression, how she found herself using alcohol as a coping mechanism and how she is navigating her recovery. Rachel emphasises the importance of self-advocacy, community support, and self-love in recovery. The conversation also highlights the need for better awareness and understanding of menopause and its impact on mental health.

Rachel also shares the following advice if you find yourself struggling with addiction:

• Listen to your body and trust your instinct
• Be your own advocate – you know your body best
• Prevention is better than cure: be alert to drinking habits
• Don't suffer alone, reach out for help.

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Contact the Samaritans for 24-hour, confidential support by calling 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org.

Joining Dr Louise Newson on this week’s podcast is Suzie Aries, who shares her story of menopause following treatment for a rare and aggressive ovarian cancer in her 20s.

Suzie talks about her cancer diagnosis and treatment, including raising £250,000 to fund treatment not available on the NHS. She also shares the realities of menopause at a young age, how HRT has helped her menopause symptoms, and why she takes HRT for her future health.

Finally, Suzie offers advice for women on how to advocate for themselves during healthcare consultations, and why being knowledgeable, confident and curious is key.

You can follow Suzie on Instagram @suzieclair11 and find out more about her story via her Facebook page Suzie Aries: kicking cancer's butt.

Joining Dr Louise Newson on this week’s podcast are Jane Hajduk and Shari Dolan, the real-life friends behind Thee Third Act, a YouTube comedy series about women’s third act: menopause.

Thee Third Act follows Jane and Shari’s characters, Josephine and Lauren, in their search for answers during menopause. From life coaches to hormone replacement therapy, they strive to conquer or at least ease hot flushes, sleepless nights, and astronomical mood swings.

Jane and Shari discuss their own menopause experiences, their off-screen friendship, and why sisterhood, laughter and honesty are key when navigating menopause.

Catch with Thee Third Act on YouTube here – the second season premieres on 27 January

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In this week's episode of the podcast, Dr Louise Newson talks to Paula, a 76-year-old woman who reached out to share her experience of being on HRT for over 30 years.

Paula explains how she was prescribed HRT after a hysterectomy when she was 44, following a complicated gynaecological history, which included an ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, fibroids and endometriosis.

She had been taking HRT for a decade when the 2002 Women’s Health Initiative study was released. Paula explains how she researched the study, then weighed up her personal risk and benefits in discussion with her doctor and made the decision to carry on taking HRT. Paula was happy to stay on HRT and credits it with helping her to feel better in her 70s than she did in her 30s.

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Joining Dr Louise on this week’s podcast is Matt Roberts, one of Britain’s foremost fitness experts and personal training pioneer. Matt opened Europe’s first exclusively personal training gym in 1996, is a bestselling author and is responsible for honing some of the most famous physiques in fashion, sport, film, music and politics.

In this episode, Matt and Dr Louise discuss the importance of strength training, cardio and mobility exercise for health span, as well as some of the key barriers to exercise during perimenopause and menopause – and how to overcome them.

Finally, Matt offers advice on getting into good habits during menopause, whether you are already active or haven’t exercised for a while.

Find out more about Matt at www.mattroberts.co.uk and follow him on Instagram @mattroberts_lifestyle

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On this week’s podcast Dr Louise Newson is joined by her friend Liz Earle MBE, writer, TV presenter, award-winning entrepreneur and best-selling author of A Better Second Half: Dial Back Your Age to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life.

Liz is synonymous with wellbeing, and as we head into 2025, she talks about why most New Year’s resolutions fail because they are unachievable. Instead, Dr Louise and Liz together offer practical tips on making some small but meaningful changes to improve health and wellbeing in midlife and beyond, including nutrition, exercise, mental health and hormones.

They also talk about the importance of prioritising yourself – and why self-care is anything but selfish.

For more about Liz, visit www.lizearlewellbeing.com

You can follow Liz on Instagram @lizearleme

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