Diabetes and Menopause: Know What to Expect
Women with diabetes may face additional challenges during menopause. Knowing what to expect can help you manage the changes.
Women with diabetes may face additional challenges during menopause. Knowing what to expect can help you manage the changes.
Menopause marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles, typically between 45 and 55 years of age.
Perimenopause refers to the transition leading up to menopause. During perimenopause, women may experience1:
Perimenopause or menopause can affect your body in different ways, such as:
Menopause may make it harder to manage your diabetes. However, there are tips you can follow to better manage both.
Since hormones can make blood sugar levels fluctuate, you may need to check your levels more often. Keep a log of your readings. Those details can help your doctor decide if your medications need to be adjusted.
Healthy choices are an important part of any diabetes treatment plan. Eat a diet that includes veggies, fruits, lean protein, low-fat dairy and whole grains. Stay active, aiming for around 30 minutes of activity daily.
A healthy diet and exercise plan also helps you manage your weight. Studies show that women who exercise and maintain their weight can often prevent high blood sugars and higher cholesterol during menopause.5
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help manage the symptoms of menopause like vaginal dryness, night sweats, and hot flashes. Some research shows that taking HRT may also improve insulin sensitivity.6
Remember that HRT does have some risks. Potential risks include blood clots, certain types of cancer, and stroke. Talk with your care team to find out if the benefits of HRT outweigh the risks for you
The changes that come with menopause often lead to weight gain. Weight gain can increase the risk of heart disease even more in women with diabetes. Talk to your physician about cholesterol and blood pressure screenings. Both are essential for managing heart disease risk and diabetes.7
1 https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15224-menopause-perimenopause-and-postmenopause
2 https://beyondtype1.org/hormones-and-their-affect-on-type-1-diabetes-management/
3 https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(02)01062-8/fulltext
4 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes/art-20044312
5 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10746891/
https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/menopause-type-2-diabetes#menopause-and-diabetes
https://diatribe.org/navigating-menopause-and-perimenopause-diabetes
https://www.nextavenue.org/manage-menopause-diabetes/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/perimenopause/symptoms-causes/syc-20354666
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