Health
fromPsychology Today
4 days agoHow a Changing Body in Perimenopause Carries Mental Weight
Menopause can affect far more than hot flashes, and women’s symptoms are often dismissed instead of validated and supported.
The birth of a child comes with a swirl of positive emotions: awe, joy, relief. And yet, for many birthing parents, this postpartum period can also be accompanied by monthsor even yearsof debilitating depression. For some of these parents, traditional antidepressant meds like sertraline, better known as Zoloft, and fluoxetine, aka Prozac, have provided some relief. But many with postpartum depression have had little recourse.
Over 7 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, this number is expected to double by 2050. Women outnumber their male counterparts by almost a two-to-one margin. Although in general, women tend to live longer than men, aging alone cannot account for the differences in the number of women who are disproportionately represented. What factors account for the sex difference?
Cortisol is essential for biological processes, helping manage stress responses, regulating blood sugar, modulating inflammation, and supporting metabolism and immune responses.
Researchers are increasingly focused on the disparity of Alzheimer's disease prevalence between women and men, recognizing that this cannot solely be attributed to women living longer.