5 New Year’s Resolutions for a Healthier Gut
Poor gut health can cause a wide range of problems within your overall health. As we enter the new year, let’s look at some simple changes you can make to improve or preserve your gut health in 2026.
Is Your Heart Health Linked to Your Hormones?
Many people associate February with matters of the heart, if not for Valentine’s Day, then because this month is designated as American Heart Month. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among both women and men, so pay close attention to your heart health.
Terry L. Franklin, MD, takes pride in delivering up-to-date and scientifically backed guidance to those in his care, including on the topic of how heart health is linked to hormonal balance.
Today, let’s explore the ways that your hormones could affect your heart and what you can do to stay heart healthy in 2026.
What role do hormones play in the human body?
The human body is incredibly complex, and the scientific community continues to learn more about how our cells, organs, and systems work together to keep us thriving. A great deal of research has examined the connections between hormones and heart health.
While there is still much to be learned, there are some key insights that can help you make good choices when it comes to staying as healthy as possible, for as long as possible.
Hormones work to deliver chemical messages throughout the human body. There are more than 50 different hormones at work at any given time, and researchers believe that there are more to be discovered.
One way to understand how important hormones are is to think about the many things that can go wrong when hormones are not functioning properly or are not present in ideal volumes. Here are just a few examples:
- Infertility
- Diabetes
- Autoimmune disorders
- Erectile dysfunction
- Thyroid issues
- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
How are hormones connected to heart health?
Thyroid hormones help regulate your metabolism, which is the process by which your body converts food into energy. When your thyroid produces too few or too many thyroid hormones, your metabolism can falter, causing you to gain or lose weight without changing your diet or activity levels.
Thyroid hormones are known to play a role in your heart function. When issues arise with thyroid hormone levels, you can experience an increased risk of atrial fibrillation, heart disease, heart failure, and hypertension.
Sex hormones are also linked to heart health. As men and women move through middle age and beyond, their natural hormone production levels decline. This can cause hormonal imbalance, creating a number of unpleasant and disruptive symptoms.
One example is an increase in belly fat, which is linked to health problems like high cholesterol, hypertension, and high blood sugar. All of these can contribute to chronic disease development and negatively impact your heart function.
High cholesterol is an especially dangerous condition. As your hormone levels fluctuate during late middle age, increased cholesterol can narrow your arteries, forcing your heart to work harder to circulate blood throughout your body.
Blood clots can also develop, increasing your risk of a heart attack or stroke.
How do you manage the heart health risks of hormonal shifts?
The first step in mitigating the risk of heart-related health issues is understanding your personal risk level.
This begins with a thorough physical exam, a discussion of your personal and family health history, and blood testing to better understand how your organs and systems are currently functioning.
Blood testing can also reveal your current hormone production levels. If there’s an imbalance in your sex hormones, hormone replacement therapy is a good option for many people.
This treatment is highly customizable, so we can adjust it over time. There are also hormonal therapies for thyroid issues.
Working with a skilled medical professional you know and trust is the best way to manage your hormone health and your heart health. For many people in and around Monterey, California, Dr. Franklin fills that role.
If you’d like to sit down with Dr. Franklin and discuss your health needs, booking a visit is as easy as a quick phone call.
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