TODAY’S DOSE OF HONESTY

My upcoming weekend in Colorado—and a chance for you to participate!

One of the best parts of having a national platform in health and medicine is getting opportunities to meet, speak to, and work with some of the smartest and most impactful physicians, scientists, and great intellects in the country. One such opportunity is coming up for me: This Friday, June 21st, I head to Colorado for “Aspen Ideas Health,” the official kickoff of the Aspen Ideas Festival. The flagship gathering of the Aspen Institute, this festival brings together brilliant leaders and thinkers from around the globe to discuss critical issues of the day and explore ideas that will shape the future. The festival includes discussions, seminars, panels, and tutorials featuring journalists, designers, innovators, politicians, diplomats, medical and scientific leaders, artists, and writers. And I am very proud to have been invited to participate!

I will be speaking and moderating three incredible panels with some of the most prominent doctors in the U.S., and I want to “virtually” bring you with me every step of the way! I’ll give you an insider's view of the conference, share the “backstage conversations” between me and these terrific experts, and also provide you the chance to send your questions to me, so I can ask these experts on your behalf. 

My first panel is “GLP-1 Agonists: Wonder Drugs of the 21st Century,” with Dr. Amanda Velazquez and Dr. Harlan Krumholz from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Yale University, respectively. We will discuss the history of these weight loss drugs (think Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro), the pros and cons of their use, issues with counterfeit forms and cost, and their potential benefit for weight maintenance and weight gain prevention. 

My second panel features Cornell University neurologist and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Mosconi, who studies the effects of estrogen on the brain, and the prevention of Alzheimer's disease in women. Her book, The Menopause Brain, is a great resource to help women navigate perimenopause and beyond, from the perspective of cognitive well-being. In today’s “Symptom Solutions,” Dr. Mosconi talks about the effects of estrogen on the female brain, plus how to keep your brain in top shape post-menopause.

And finally, the crown jewel during Aspen Ideas Health, the closing session will be my discussion with the U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, during which we will talk about a serious condition that affects 1 in every 2 people in this country. No, it's not obesity—it's loneliness! You’ll find some of Dr. Murthy’s thoughts about combatting loneliness in today’s “Community” section.

I’m also having dinner with supermodel, women's health advocate, and philanthropist Christy Turlington, whose foundation, Every Mother Counts, is dedicated to saving the lives of women during childbirth. I plan to talk with Christy about how we can help women who risk serious injury and death during labor and delivery, both here and around the world. 

If you have questions you would like me to ask, on video, please reply to my Instagram story post today (@drjashton). I will get as many direct answers as I can!

SYMPTOM SOLUTIONS

Does estrogen impact brain function?

In a word, yes. To answer this question more fully, I’ve called on my colleague, brain specialist Dr. Lisa Mosconi, who (literally) wrote the book on the powerful effects of this female sex hormone on the working health of your brain.

Estrogen is considered the “master regulator” of female brain health. Its work is threefold:

1. It significantly influences brain structure, function, and chemistry by regulating neurotransmitters that affect mood and cognitive abilities.

2. It also has neuroprotective properties that promote the growth and maintenance of neurons, enhancing cognitive functions and potentially delaying neurodegenerative diseases.

3. Finally, estrogen improves cerebral blood flow, ensuring the brain receives the nutrients and oxygen needed to function optimally.

During menopause, as estrogen levels fluctuate and decline, these benefits can be reduced, leading to brain changes and, in turn, the symptoms and risks associated with menopause. So, it’s important to do what you can to mitigate the health risks and keep your brain functioning optimally.

• Stay physically active. Regular exercise not only boosts mood and brain function but also helps regulate hormone levels, which can be particularly beneficial during the menopausal transition and beyond.

• Eat a healthful diet. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, fiber, and healthy fats can help support brain and hormonal health. Some plant-based foods, for example, contain phytoestrogens that may help support estrogen levels.

• Practice good sleep hygiene. Adequate sleep helps regulate the stress hormone cortisol and supports the production of estrogen and progesterone.

• Engage in mental exercise. Challenging your brain via lifelong learning can help maintain cognitive health, which is especially important as hormonal changes during menopause can affect memory and concentration. It is also considered an important preventive measure against Alzheimer's disease.

• Manage stress. Stress-reduction techniques support heart and brain health, while also promoting hormonal balance by reducing cortisol levels, which can be disruptive at all ages but especially during menopause.

• Get regular medical checkups. Discussing and managing your overall health with your doctor on a regular basis is key to prevention. Additionally, this can guide decisions about hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and other treatments that may be appropriate. This proactive approach helps ensure that any factors that may impact brain health are managed effectively.

Our Core Expert

Lisa Mosconi, Ph.D., is an associate professor of neuroscience in neurology and radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine and the director of the Women’s Brain Initiative and the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Mosconi was listed as one of the 17 most influential living female scientists by The Times and was called “the Mona Lisa of Neuroscience” by ELLE International. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Menopause Brain and The XX Brain. Buy them here.

COMMUNITY

What YOU can do to combat loneliness.

Serving as chief medical correspondent for the country’s #1 TV network has allowed me to meet the best doctors in the U.S. An important one I’ve gotten to know considers the entire country to be his “patient.” He is Vivek Murthy, our Surgeon General, in charge of the U.S. Public Health Service. In a recent conversation, we talked about how to combat the “epidemic of loneliness” he feels we’re all experiencing.

From my conversations with people across the country, I realized they were struggling with isolation and loneliness. As a doctor, I didn’t learn about [loneliness] in medical school—I am sure you didn’t either, Dr. Jen—but I encountered patients who dealt with it…and it was consequential [to] their health. When people struggle with not having connection, there is not just a risk of depression and suicide, but heart disease and other chronic illnesses.

I consider this not just crucial to the health of individuals, but to society at large. Loneliness impacts how kids perform at schools, and in our neighborhoods and workplaces. And it affects all age groups and all geographic and cultural backgrounds, but it can present differently. Sometimes it shows up as irritability and anger—more in men. It can look like withdrawing more…or [staying] quiet and not reaching out. It can look different for different people.

We need to get into the practice of checking in on one another. Ask how they are doing, give them the opportunity to ask for help, show them that they matter. When people have talked to me about loneliness, they say they felt invisible, like if they disappeared, no one would care, that they didn’t matter. When we show up for someone, it says “You matter, and I see you.”

So, a few steps:

• Spend 15 minutes a day to reach out to someone you care about—text or call on the way to work or the gym. Make it part of your daily practice.

• Give people the benefit of your full attention. We all dip hands into pockets to check our phones, we refresh our emails or check the scores, or whatever it is. The science is clear that we can’t double-task: We are missing that connection with our friends [and loved ones]. And it doesn’t feel great to NOT have that attention. Just 5 minutes of focus is more powerful than 30 minutes of not paying attention.

• Look for opportunities to serve other people. If someone drops something, for example, take 30 seconds to help pick it up. It’s these small moments and gestures that connections are built from. Service is a powerful antidote to loneliness. When we’re chronically lonely, it erodes our self-esteem. When we help someone in a small way, we forge a connection, and we prove that we have impact on the world. And when you connect with others, it’s not just good for you, it’s good for them too.

What people come back to at the end of their lives is not about how long their resume was or how much money they received. They talk about their relationships, the kindness they feel and receive from their children. The promotions and all of that is great, but it’s not what gives us worth. It’s that we have the ability to give kindness and extend compassion. Let’s acknowledge our true source of worth—connection with one another—and commit to building those connections. Small steps [can] make big progress, from where we are now to becoming a society around people. It’s the key to happiness, fulfillment, and good health.

Signs & Symptoms of Loneliness

• Fear of making friends or inability to connect with others on a deeper or closer level

• Hardly any friends

• Spending majority of time alone

• Overwhelming feeling of isolation regardless of where you are or who you’re with 

• Wanting to be more social, envious of others who are social, but have no energy to do it

• Feeling not just lonely but also sad or depressed about it

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ABOUT DR. JEN

In her roles as chief medical correspondent for ABC News and on-air cohost of “GMA3: What You Need to Know,” Dr. Jennifer Ashton—”Dr. Jen”—shares the latest health news and information with millions of viewers nationwide. As an OB-GYN, nutritionist, and board-certified obesity medicine specialist, she is passionate about promoting optimal health for “the whole woman.” She has written several books, including the best-selling The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier & Fitter—One Month at a Time. And she has gone through menopause…

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