"50 is the new 30": How women are taking control of their menopause information

A contemporary art museum in Madrid hosted the Womanhood Summit this Saturday, an event where menopause took center stage . The fact that the venue was cultural is no coincidence, as Lucía Yturriaga , the person behind the event, commented that thanks to art, we can see everything through a different lens. This was the goal: to analyze everything surrounding menopause and learn what happens to the body during this time . "We're going to learn, laugh, debunk myths, get excited... 50 and 60 are the new 30 ; you can start over and break the script," she summarized. To this end, more than a dozen experts addressed issues such as associated pathologies, hormone therapy, exercise, nutrition, rest, and supplementation.

When you think of menopause, a woman fanning herself in an attempt to combat hot flashes will come to mind for most people, but there are many more symptoms , as well as associated diseases that are often invisible. Matilde Gómez , a gynecologist and educator, has delved into the subject of osteoporosis , which is related to the loss of estrogen . "We lose the drive of the cells that generate bones, so they are more likely to break . It's not just a fracture; it changes your life and sometimes makes you afraid to go out," she stated. Certain factors directly influence this condition, such as a sedentary lifestyle, certain medications, and toxins like tobacco and alcohol.

On the other hand, cardiologist Leticia Fernández-Friera focused on cardiovascular diseases , thus debunking a myth: " The main cause of mortality in women is cardiovascular ; 75% think it's cancer, but, for example, breast cancer has a 3% mortality rate, while heart cancer accounts for 26% ," she indicated. The positive side is that 80% of these cases are preventable. Therefore, the specialist noted that the scientific community considers 50 years of age a reasonable age for a complete cardiovascular checkup.

The symptoms that should never be ignored during menopause have also been discussed. Oncologist Ricardo Cubedo has summarized them in four: any bleeding after the end of menstruation, changes in the breast —not just lumps—and any sudden physical exertion that forces you to stop. "All of these are reasons to seek medical attention," he comments. The fourth warning is changes in bowel rhythm . "There is an ultra-epidemic of colon cancer in the 40-something population, and almost all of them are on the rise," he lamented.

Does menopausal hormone therapy cause cancer?

The second myth debunked this week, which was also followed online in 18 countries, is that menopausal hormone therapy causes cancer. "Myth, myth, and then some," this doctor insisted. Marimer Pérez , also a gynecologist, recalled that this belief was preceded by the publication of a study in 2002 and that "it's important not to demonize it." The point is that when this work was disseminated, several mistakes were made, and since then, the preparations have changed drastically. "How can it be that in 2025 we still have this fear? It's a medical tool that has a series of indications. This doesn't mean all women should take it . It's designed to alleviate the symptoms of menopause that affect quality of life, such as hot flashes, night sweats, or insomnia, among others," she commented.

Another issue that has been the focus of the event is aging . Europe in general has a life expectancy that exceeds 80 years, and if the focus is on Spain , the country stands out for being at the top. Furthermore, women top these lists. Ángel Durántez , a pioneering physician in medicine for healthy aging , commented that there is a gender gap in this regard : " You live five years longer and with 25% more life in poor health ," he clarified. When it comes to aging, the ovaries have a lot to say. "It's extremely important; they not only age faster than the testicles, but also than other organs and systems. This affects the rate of brain aging, for example. In addition, during menopause, the markers accelerate between 6 and 10%," he pointed out.

In this matter, as in all other aspects of health, there are very hot topics. One of them is the microbiota , which, as defined by digestive system specialist Silvia Gómez, is "a set of microorganisms that live in different parts of our body." The speaker delved into the similarities between the intestinal and vaginal microbiota , for example, which evolve throughout a woman's life cycles. "It's not the same one we have when we are in childhood, adolescence, reproductive age, or menopause," she insisted. Furthermore, the former can play a role during this natural period: "If it's good, your vagina and endometrium will be better. Women who experience hot flashes have a different microbiota than those who don't."

When talking about trendy topics, supplements can't be left out. Do we need them? Are they useful? How can they be taken safely? To answer all these questions, Yturriaga spoke with José Francisco Tinao , a pharmacist, nutritionist, and expert on the subject. He also taught us how to identify a good supplement , and to do so, we need to focus on three points: standardization, to know what we're taking and whether it can be compared. Second, there's bioavailability, to know if the supplements are actually being absorbed and if they're fulfilling their function. Finally, we must consider whether it has a patent, because it means that a study has been conducted and a regulatory agency has reviewed it.

Sleep, nutrition and exercise: the perfect formula

Beyond the more theoretical presentations, there were also very practical talks that provided tools that the more than 200 people who attended, the vast majority of whom were women, can incorporate into their daily lives. Marta León , a specialist in nutrition, food, and women's health , outlined what the perfect plate looks like during menopause : "We should have 50% vegetables, both raw and cooked; protein has to be a higher percentage than before, it has to be more prominent than carbohydrates, and the ideal quantity would be the equivalent of the palm of our hand; fat is super important, but not just any fat. The ones that are important are omega 3, avocados, or seeds."

Crys Dyaz , a physical therapist and trainer , has been responsible for proposing a home workout routine with almost no equipment. She proposes five different exercises, which must be repeated a couple of times. The routine begins with a normal squat , followed by a row with some weight, or, if that's not possible, push-ups; it continues with an abdominal crunch ; then moves on to a deadlift and a final cardiovascular exercise, which can be burpees, brisk walking, or getting up and down from a chair . But the perfect formula has a third component: rest . Jana Fernández, a consultant and educator specializing in wellness, has taken charge of this. To guarantee good sleep, the specialist has suggested three steps: prioritize it and dedicate the necessary time to it, slow down during the day and avoid actions that activate us; and, last but not least, enjoy sleeping.

There was even a moment when attendees stopped hearing and seeing and started feeling, this time at a panel called "How to Ride Your Roller Coaster ." It was led by occupational therapist Catalina Hoffmann , who focused on body listening. Thanks to a recording lasting more than 10 minutes, the room fell silent as everyone listened with headphones and their eyes closed to a narration of a planned journey. Using the sounds of rivers and birds, the audience was told to imagine themselves swimming in a waterfall and the breeze hitting their faces, with the goal of connecting with themselves. "When we stop and listen to our bodies, we realize something very important: silence is not the absence of noise , but the greatest connection with you. You are the driving force behind your own change," she concluded.

Neuroscientist and researcher Nazareth Castellanos explained the relationship between the heart and the brain , as the former is the organ that most influences the latter. Furthermore, menopause also brings about changes in this relationship. The expert explained that the insulae are the areas that run from the back of the brain to the front and are where the idea of ​​who a person is formed.

"Every time our heart beats, milliseconds later the neurons in the insula respond. During adolescence and menopause, the insula undergoes a major reorganization, with a restructuring of the idea of ​​​​who I am . The insula listens much more to the heart and the brain, to the body. A poor diet has more negative effects when identity is being reorganized than if it happens at another time. That's why it's important to take care of the body here," she explained.

After lunch, in the second part of the Womanhood Summit , they once again focused on one of their established objectives: debunking myths. In this case, it was related to sexuality, with gynecologist and integrative gynecology expert Bárbara Fernández del Bas and sexologist Valerie Tasso arguing that libido doesn't disappear, but rather transforms . "Many patients come with the idea that they've lost it, and what we have to do is delve deeply into the transformation of desire. It can be recovered; it must be cultivated from the very beginning," the doctor argued. Tasso, for her part, insisted that it never disappears, because otherwise we would cease to be alive. "We've been told all our lives that it has to be spontaneous, but that's not the case. It requires motivation and work. Well-developed sexual desire is part of comprehensive well-being," she explained.

With the arrival of menopause, another aspect inevitably changes: our skin . To discuss this topic, dermatologist Ricardo Ruiz , who founded the first Skin Hospital in Spain, spoke to us. He focused on the role that professionals in this field can play during this period, with tools such as regenerative aesthetic medicine , which "improves the appearance of the skin, but also cellular changes."

For expression lines , for example, there's Botox, but age must be taken into account when choosing the technique. At the capillary level, she listed the four types of alopecia at this stage of a woman's life and stated that in addition to topical treatments, there are also injectable treatments. Regarding sweating , she noted that 70% of these patients have symptoms and that there are oral or injectable options. In this whole issue, we mustn't forget the emotional connotations, since 30% of patients have some type of psychological affectation , as she pointed out.

The final panel was led by endocrinology and nutrition specialist Borja Bandera . During his presentation, he emphasized that it's not as important to talk about weight as it is about body composition, which worsens with the onset of menopause. "The scale doesn't define a person's health, but body composition does," he summarized.

Much of this has to do, once again, with estrogen , whose decline alters metabolism and, among other things, makes it harder to lose fat . But there are also factors that influence fat gain, such as sleep disturbances, which negatively affect appetite-regulating hormones ; appetite disturbances, since estrogens work with the neuropeptides that regulate appetite, and their decrease can disrupt satiety signaling; chronic stress, since elevated cortisol promotes visceral fat storage and muscle loss; and lifestyle changes, since spontaneous physical activity and scheduled exercise tend to decrease with age, significantly reducing total daily caloric expenditure.

The intensive masterclass day concluded with various workshops where participants learned even more from experts in the field and continued to debunk myths, this time in a practical way.