Heart surgeon reveals early lifestyle habits can make menopause far easier for women

Menopause may be a natural biological transition, but how difficult that journey becomes often depends on lifestyle choices made years earlier, according to board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon Dr Jeremy London.

In a recent health advisory, Dr London said menopause should not be viewed as a disease, but women also should not accept severe discomfort as something they simply have to endure. 

With more than 25 years of clinical experience, he stressed that the body’s changing hormone profile can significantly affect long-term health, particularly once estrogen levels begin to decline.

According to the surgeon, estrogen does far more than regulate reproductive cycles. It plays a major protective role in cardiovascular, metabolic and brain health.

As estrogen drops during menopause, women become more vulnerable to high blood pressure, increased cholesterol, insulin resistance, visceral fat gain and a higher risk of heart disease.

Dr London said this is why preparation should begin long before menopause arrives. 

He recommends building consistent habits around resistance training, adequate daily protein intake and proper sleep, all of which help preserve muscle mass and metabolic resilience with age. 

He has repeatedly described muscle as one of the body’s most valuable long-term health assets, especially for women entering midlife.

He also encouraged women to speak openly about symptoms such as hot flashes, brain fog and sleep disruption rather than silently “pushing through.”

“Menopause is inevitable, but suffering is not,” Dr London noted, urging women to educate themselves early, seek support and create a proactive health plan instead of reacting only when symptoms begin.