This is a re-release of an episode I did last year on heart health. Such an important topic and one worth re-visiting!

Enjoy,

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This week on The Fit Positive Podcast, we’re talking about heart health in midlife — why our risk rises, what markers actually matter, and how the habits inside the Fit Positive Method directly protect your cardiovascular system.

Heart disease is the number one cause of death for women, and our risk triples after menopause.
But the good news?
Around 80% of that risk is influenced by daily lifestyle choices — which means we have far more control than we think.

Inside this episode, we cover:

Declining oestrogen affects blood vessels, inflammation, cholesterol patterns, insulin sensitivity and even fat distribution. We break down what’s actually happening inside your body and why this stage of life requires a more intentional approach.

Including LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, smoking, insulin resistance, belly fat, inactivity, diet, family history, stress and sleep.

This is the list every midlife woman should know.

We unpack:

• LDL cholesterol

• HDL cholesterol

• Triglycerides

• Triglyceride:HDL ratio

• HbA1c

• Blood pressure

…and what each one tells us about your metabolic and cardiovascular health.

You’ll also hear my own latest numbers — including a Triglyceride:HDL ratio of 0.26, which is a strong indicator of excellent insulin sensitivity and low cardiovascular risk.

Every Fit Positive pillar — strength training, steps, macro-balanced nutrition, sleep and stress management — directly improves cardiovascular health.

We explain how each one affects things like:

• blood pressure

• blood sugar

• inflammation

• cholesterol

• visceral fat

• metabolic flexibility

This is the science behind why our method works — not just for fat loss, but for long-term health.

When started within 10 years of menopause, HRT can support arterial health, improve cholesterol patterns, reduce inflammation and slow the progression of atherosclerosis.
Not right for everyone, but worth discussing with your GP.

Finnish research shows that people who use sauna 4–7x/week have:

• ~50% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease

• ~63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death

Heat stress improves blood pressure, arterial flexibility, circulation and inflammation — making it an excellent midlife tool.

⭐ What You’ll Learn

1️⃣ Why women’s heart disease risk rises in perimenopause & menopause

2️⃣ The biggest cardiovascular risk factors for women (in order of importance)

3️⃣ The blood markers that matter for your heart — and my own recent results

4️⃣ How the Fit Positive Method protects your heart

5️⃣ A quick note on HRT and cardiovascular protection

6️⃣ Sauna for heart health (as covered in my recent sauna episode)

⭐ Resources & Links

🔗 ELITE Trial — Early vs Late Oestrogen Intervention
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa1505241

🔗 HRT Timing Hypothesis research (WHI re-analysis)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3986473/

🔗 Study on sauna & cardiovascular mortality (Laukkanen et al.)
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2130724

🔗 Fit Positive Empowered Membership (nutrition, strength, tracking tools & recipes to support both fat loss and heart health)
www.fitpositive.ie/empowered

⭐ If you enjoyed this episode…

Please share it on your Instagram stories or with a friend who needs to hear it.
Every share genuinely helps more midlife women access evidence-based support.

And if you want to take the next step, join us inside Fit Positive Empowered — where we pair science-backed training and nutrition with daily support, coaching, and community so you can feel your strongest, healthiest, most confident self in midlife.