The Optimal Body 449 | Midlife Hormone Health: Cutting Through the Noise on Hormone Replacement Therapy, Pain & GLP-1's with Jennifer Gularson
Feb 23, 2026
Jennifer Gularson, a board-certified physician assistant and functional medicine practitioner focused on midlife women’s health and longevity. She talks about modern hormone replacement therapy, common perimenopausal symptoms and validation, how hormones affect pain, bone and movement, practical supplements, and using GLP-1s as a tool alongside nutrition and resistance training.
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Manage Postpartum Hormone Crashes Proactively
- Expect postpartum progesterone crashes and consider short-term progesterone or vaginal estrogen to relieve symptoms and aid healing.
- Track cycles and symptoms; perimenopause can start mid-30s to 50s and overlap with postpartum effects.
Research Reappraisal Rebooted HRT Acceptance
- The Women's Health Initiative reinterpretation plus accessible education (books, podcasts, social media) shifted public and clinician views on HRT safety.
- Decades of dogma are unraveling as new analyses and advocates spread evidence.
Personalize HRT Delivery And Start Early
- Personalize delivery and timing of HRT — patches, creams, injectables, pellets — and remind patients it's reversible and adjustable.
- Start noticing changes like sleep, multitasking, mood between 35–50 and discuss gradual options early.
