unPAUSED with Dr. Mary Claire Haver

In this episode of “unPAUSED,” Dr. Mary Claire Haver answers the questions she gets asked most, sitting down solo to address what perimenopause actually is, why it starts in the brain before it ever shows up in bloodwork, and why so many women experiencing anxiety, brain fog, broken sleep, and unexplained weight gain are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or handed prescriptions for symptoms that have a hormonal root.

Perimenopause is not a waiting room. It is its own distinct biological phase, a seven to ten year hormonal transition that begins long before periods stop and touches every organ system in the body. And yet most women are never taught to recognize it.

Dr. Haver breaks down the hormonal chaos of perimenopause, revealing why estrogen does not simply decline but surges and crashes erratically as the brain floods the ovaries with luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in a desperate attempt to produce more, and why a single blood draw will almost never tell the full story. She answers the metabolic questions she hears constantly, explaining how visceral fat can double or triple during the transition with no changes in diet or exercise, why LDL cholesterol rises an average of 20%, and how cardiovascular risk, insulin resistance, bone density loss, and inflammation are all woven into the same story medicine has largely failed to tell women.

Guest links:


The 'Pause Wellness


The ‘Pause Life


Dr. Mary Claire Haver (Instagram)


Dr. Mary Claire Haver (YouTube)

Books:

“The New Perimenopause,” by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

"The New Menopause" by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

“Weightless: A Doctor's Guide to GLP-1 Medications, Sustainable Weight Loss, and the Health You Deserve,” by Rocio Salas-Whalen

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In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver continues her conversation with Dr. Lisa Mosconi, neuroscientist and associate professor of neuroscience in neurology and radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Mosconi directs the Alzheimer's Prevention Program, including the NIH-funded Women's Brain Initiative and the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic, and was recently named director of the $50 million Program in Women's Health, Cutting Alzheimer's Risk Through Endocrinology. She is also the author of the bestselling book The Menopause Brain.

Dr. Mosconi and Dr. Haver go deeper into why brain fog, memory lapses, and cognitive changes in midlife are not just frustrating. They are biologically significant, and for some women, they may signal an inflection point for Alzheimer's risk. The conversation covers the statistics women are rarely given starting at age 45, a woman has twice the risk of Alzheimer's as a man of the same age. Women are also twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression, three times more likely to develop an autoimmune disorder affecting the brain, four times more likely to suffer from migraines, and more likely to be killed by a stroke after menopause.

Guest links:

Lisa Mosconi

Lisa Mosconi (Instagram)

Lisa Mosconi (Facebook)Lisa Mosconi Bio (LEAP)Books:

“The Menopause Brain: New Science Empowers Women to Navigate the Pivotal Transition with Knowledge and Confidence,” by Lisa Mosconi

“The XX Brain: The Groundbreaking Science Empowering Women to Maximize Cognitive Health and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease,” by Lisa Mosconi

“Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power,” by Lisa Mosconi

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Today, I’m thrilled to introduce you to Suzy Welch. Suzy is a business journalist-turned-professor at NYU and a three-time New York Times bestseller who specializes in decision-making. Her podcast, Becoming You, is a weekly masterclass in the pursuit of authentic purpose—delivered with a heavy dose of wit and zero despair.  Here on unPAUSED, we talk about the medical experts and the lifestyle shifts required to reclaim your healthspan, but thriving is about more than just your physical well-being—it’s about your purpose. As we navigate the shifts in our hormones and our identities, we often find ourselves asking: “What’s next?” and “How do I make the big decisions for this new chapter?” Suzy Welch can help. Find Becoming You with Suzy Welch everywhere you get your podcasts.

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In this episode of unPAUSED, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with Dr. Lisa Mosconi, a neuroscientist and associate professor of neuroscience in neurology and radiology at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital. Dr. Mosconi directs the Alzheimer's Prevention Program, including the NIH-funded Women's Brain Initiative and the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic, and was recently named director of the $50 million Program in Women's Health, Cutting Alzheimer's Risk Through Endocrinology. She is also the author of the bestselling book The Menopause Brain.

This conversation is about prevention. Dr. Mosconi has spent decades building the science that shows Alzheimer's risk in women is neither inevitable nor untreatable and that the choices women make in midlife around hormones, sleep, and nutrition have a direct, and measurable, impact on the brain's long-term health.  Together, they explore why two thirds of all Alzheimer's patients are women and what role menopause plays in that disparity. Dr. Mosconi explains the difference between the rare genetic mutations that directly cause Alzheimer's, found in roughly 2% of patients, and the risk factors that shape outcomes for the other 98%, including the distinction between early and late onset disease and between sporadic and familial Alzheimer's. Both share their own family histories with dementia and what that means for their personal risk.

Guest links:

Lisa Mosconi

Lisa Mosconi (Instagram)

Lisa Mosconi (Facebook)

Lisa Mosconi Bio (LEAP)

Books:

“The Menopause Brain: New Science Empowers Women to Navigate the Pivotal Transition with Knowledge and Confidence,” by Lisa Mosconi

“The XX Brain: The Groundbreaking Science Empowering Women to Maximize Cognitive Health and Prevent Alzheimer's Disease,” by Lisa Mosconi“Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power,” by Lisa Mosconi

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Poor sleep during perimenopause and menopause isn't just exhausting—it's linked to increased cardiovascular disease risk, depression, anxiety, weight gain, cognitive decline, and reduced quality of life. Yet for decades, women's sleep complaints have been minimized, dismissed, or blamed on just getting older.

In this episode, Dr. Mary Claire Haver sits down with board-certified sleep medicine specialist Dr. Andrea Matsumura to unpack what's really happening to women's sleep during the menopause transition and what we can actually do about it. Dr. Matsumura completed her medical degree at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and her internal medicine residency in Portland, Oregon before returning to Oregon Health & Science University for a fellowship in sleep medicine, where she discovered the critical connection between women's hormones and sleep disorders.

Guest links:


Dr. Andrea Matsumura (Instagram)


Dr. Andrea Matsumura (Facebook)


Dr. Andrea Matsumura (LinkedIn)


Dr. Andrea Matsumura 


The D.R.E.A.M. Sleep Method: A Midlife Woman’s Guide to Restoring Rest

Articles


Worldwide estimation of restless legs syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prevalence in the general adult population (Journal of Sleep Research)


Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies (Medicina)


Why sleep apnea deserves priority in public health: a call to action (European Journal of Public Health)


Poor Quality Control of Over-the-Counter Melatonin: What They Say Is Often Not What You Get (Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine)


Quantity of Melatonin and CBD in Melatonin Gummies Sold in the US (JAMA)


Sleep disorders impact hormonal regulation: unravelling the relationship among sleep disorders, hormones and metabolic diseases (Diabetology & Metabolic Syndrome)


Comorbid Insomnia and Obstructive Sleep Apnea (COMISA): Current Concepts of Patient Management (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health)


Chronobiological perspectives: Association between meal timing and sleep quality (PLOS One)


Effects of red light on sleep inertia (Nature and Science of Sleep)

Other Resources


Seven or more hours of sleep per night: A health necessity for adults (American Academy of Sleep Medicine)



The D.R.E.A.M Sleep Essentials

Sleep Goddess Archetype Quiz


American Academy of Sleep Medicine


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