Morning Glow Newsletter Vol. 14

21 August 2025

Morning Glow

Heart Check at Midlife: Why Only 1 in 5 Women Are Hitting the Heart-Healthy Target

By Yara, Editor-at-large

Hey there,

Here’s something to chew on over your morning cuppa: a major new analysis from the SWAN study (that’s the big “Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation”) shows fewer than one in four women in midlife, around age 46, are maintaining optimal cardiovascular health. That’s barely 25 per cent. And yes, this is during menopause, the time that shifts so much else already. 

They looked at what matters most via the AHA’s Life’s Essential 8: only four factors are doing the heavy lifting for heart health… sleep quality, blood sugar, blood pressure, and smoking status. Better sleep, more stable glucose and blood pressure, and quitting smoking are the strongest predictors of future heart health.

Heart health

Here’s the kicker: those midlife years aren’t just a random blur of change. They’re a critical window when we can actually step in and shift the trajectory, before heart disease takes hold. Thousands of women in this study could’ve missed this moment, often without knowing it. 

So, what does that mean for you? Think of perimenopause as a heart-health checkpoint. Small, steady changes make a real difference. Better sleep tonight… an extra walk… minding your sugar… it all adds up.

Let’s keep our hearts in the glow.

— Yara, your Morning Glow Editor

Join the conversation here: www.yaraglow.com

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Menopause Care: Don’t Let Shopping Tricks Replace Real Talk

Let’s cut to the chase. The BMJ just flagged a trend that’s taking us off‑course: a surge in hormone tests sold directly to women, often with zero medical backup… and yes, it’s doing more harm than good. 

Folks are paying hundreds, sometimes in dollars, sometimes in pounds, for hormone panels that promise “personalised” care. In reality, experts say, these tests often miss the mark. Hormone levels fluctuate wildly; there’s no clear threshold to guide treatment; and neither can the results reliably show when your final period’ll arrive or whether to stop contraception. Worse still, they offer a false sense of precision. 

Trusted bodies, including the British Menopause Society, NICE, ACOG, point out that menopause in women over 45 is a clinical diagnosis, based on symptoms and history, not lab numbers. Custom‑made hormone blends based on those test results don’t come with oversight like regulated treatment does, and some have safety concerns, including uneven oestrogen doses that might affect the womb lining. 

What’s the takeaway? Menopause care works best when it starts with real conversation, how you’re feeling, your priorities, not what a test tells you. So if you’re tempted by shiny testing kits, pause and ask: am I listening to myself or to marketing?

Stay curious and grounded.

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Falling for Beauty: The Coquette Charm of Autumn 2025

Age & Beauty

Hey Glow‑seekers,

Ready for beauty that’s equal parts bold whisper and chic throwback? This fall, we’re stepping into soft romance with a modern twist that doesn’t take itself too seriously, even when it looks seriously good.

First off, cue the revival of the “coquette” aesthetic, championed this season by singer‑songwriter Laufey. Think vintage‑chic: rosy pastel blush, winged liner, dreamy gloss, fine‑tuned for today’s romantic edge. Her signature beauty feels like poetry in motion and gently nudges us toward subtle, playful elegance.

Now, let’s talk lips, with a capital L. Selena Gomez has made “mocha rose” the unofficial must-have nail shade of the season, a soft blend of pink, coffee and a touch of cozy warmth. We’re calling it manicure nirvana for chilly days.

If your vibe leans a bit edgier, Jenna Ortega’s early‑’00s grunge‑inspired smokey eyes are your muse. Her bold, rimmed eyeliner and cool-toned lips strike an unexpected balance between throwback and now, perfect for dressing up and showing up.

So here’s the beauty mix: soft romance, vintage flair, mocha-warm nails and a dash of rebellion. It’s cosy without being predictable, nostalgic without being dated. Maybe you go full coquette one day, and channel a bit of Jenna’s edge the next.

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A New Frontier in Menopause Care: Hormones Meet Metabolic Medicine

There’s real buzz in menopause research right now, and for once it’s good news. A Mayo Clinic study has found that combining traditional hormone therapy with tirzepatide, a diabetes medication already making waves in weight management, could be a game-changer for women in midlife.

Here’s what they discovered: postmenopausal women on both treatments lost an average of 17% of their body weight, compared with 14% on tirzepatide alone. Even more striking, nearly half of the women in the combined group achieved weight loss of 20% or more. That’s not just a number on the scales; it’s a shift that could lower risks linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Tirzepatide

This dual approach is about more than easing hot flushes and brain fog. It’s tackling two issues at once, menopausal symptoms and the stubborn weight gain that often accompanies them. Experts see it as a new model for personalised care, one that acknowledges the overlapping health challenges women face at this stage of life.

And it doesn’t stop there. In the UK, the launch of Nalvee, a dydrogesterone-only tablet, adds a fresh option to the HRT toolkit. It promises symptom relief with a safer profile, widening choices for women who may not have tolerated older treatments.

Together, these advances point towards a more tailored, effective future for menopause care, one where treatment isn’t just about surviving this stage, but thriving through it.

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Early Puberty, Early Ageing: What Genetics Reveal About Midlife Health

Heads‑up: new findings show the timing of puberty and childbirth could shape your long‑term health more than we thought.

Researchers using genetic data have found that girls who go through puberty early… or have children early, face a raised risk of ageing‑related diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even certain cancers. That’s because these events seem to accelerate biological aging, according to a study published recently. 

This isn’t about shaming, but understanding what our bodies go through. There’s a trade‑off built into our biology, reproductive advantage early on may come at the cost of faster ageing later. It’s part of what scientists call an “evolutionary trade‑off,” where things that help us reproduce might not help us live longer. 

So what can we do? First, treat early life events as important markers, not determinants you can’t change, but clues to how closely we watch our long-term health. It means paying attention to blood pressure, blood sugar, and heart health especially if your reproductive milestones arrived early. And it underscores the need for preventive steps at every stage of life: daily activity, good diet, enough sleep, stress care.

Menopausal women, and those nearing it, aren’t stuck on autopilot. Understanding how our reproductive histories interact with ageing is more than a novelty. It’s a way to reclaim agency and guide our health with curiosity, not guilt.

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