I AM YOU

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez addresses one of the most common and frustrating experiences women face during perimenopause: feeling “off” even when their labs come back normal. If you’ve ever been told “everything looks fine,” “it’s just stress,” or “this is just aging” — while still feeling tired, anxious, foggy, wired, or not like yourself — this episode reframes those symptoms as signals worth taking seriously.

Dr. Alvarez explains why normal lab results do not always tell the full story, especially during perimenopause, when estrogen levels can fluctuate dramatically from one day to the next. These hormonal shifts can affect the brain, blood vessels, metabolism, nervous system, inflammation, cholesterol, sleep, and cardiovascular risk.

With clarity and urgency, she breaks down:

• Why estrogen is more than a reproductive hormone — and how it affects the brain, blood vessels, metabolism, and heart
• Why perimenopause can make women feel anxious, foggy, tired, wired, and unlike themselves
• Why “normal labs” may miss hormonal fluctuation and early physiologic changes
• Why perimenopause can begin in the late 30s and 40s
• What women should consider evaluating beyond basic labs, including:
  • Hormonal patterns, including estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, free testosterone, thyroid markers, and cortisol
  • Cardiometabolic markers such as fasting glucose, hemoglobin A1c, fasting insulin, and insulin resistance
  • Advanced lipid markers including LDL, HDL, triglycerides, non-HDL cholesterol, ApoB, and lipoprotein(a)
  • Blood pressure and vascular health, including ambulatory blood pressure monitoring when appropriate
  • Body composition, including waist circumference, visceral fat, body fat percentage, and lean muscle mass
  • Inflammation markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, homocysteine, and ferritin

Dr. Alvarez also shares why these symptoms matter from a prevention standpoint. Perimenopause is not just about symptoms — it can be a critical window to detect early cardiovascular risk before it becomes disease.

This episode is a direct call-to-action for women who have been dismissed, minimized, or told to ignore what their body is signaling. Becoming the CEO of your own health starts with asking better questions, understanding what should be evaluated, and taking symptoms seriously before they become something more.

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 Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez addresses a topic many women experience but rarely talk about openly: urinary changes after 40. If you’ve found yourself planning your day around the nearest bathroom, waking up multiple times at night to urinate, or avoiding exercise because you’re afraid of leaking, this episode explains why these symptoms are common — but not something women should simply accept as “normal.”  

Dr. Alvarez explains how bladder function is connected to hormones, pelvic floor strength, tissue health, metabolism, and the body’s support systems. During perimenopause and menopause, fluctuating and declining estrogen levels can affect the tissues of the bladder and urethra, contributing to urgency, frequency, nighttime urination, and leakage.  

With clarity and compassion, she breaks down:

• Why urinary symptoms can increase during perimenopause and menopause
• How estrogen supports urinary tract tissue, elasticity, blood flow, and pelvic strength
• Why pelvic floor weakness can contribute to stress incontinence during coughing, laughing, or exercise
• Why urinary symptoms are treatable — and not just an unavoidable part of aging
• Why women who have never had children can still experience bladder changes
• What minimum testing may include:
  • Urinalysis to check for infection, blood, or inflammation
  • Post-void residual measurement to evaluate how well the bladder is emptying
  • Hormonal evaluation, including estradiol
  • Metabolic testing, including blood sugar/glucose levels
• Practical prevention steps:
  • Strengthening the pelvic floor
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Staying hydrated while limiting bladder irritants like caffeine
  • Addressing hormonal health
  • Seeking pelvic floor therapy when needed

This episode is a reminder that urinary symptoms are not a source of shame. They are often the body asking for attention. If you are planning your day around the bathroom, avoiding movement because of leakage, or feeling like your body has changed and no one has explained why, it may be time to seek a real evaluation.

Because common does not always mean normal — and becoming the CEO of your own health starts with listening to your body and asking for answers.

Visit NitzaMD.com
 Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this Ask the Heart Doctor-style episode, Dr. Alvarez tackles a symptom many women quietly struggle with: hair thinning after 35. If you’ve noticed more hair in your brush, a wider part, or a thinner ponytail and wondered, “Is this stress? My shampoo? Or is something wrong with me?” — this episode reframes hair loss as more than a cosmetic issue. It can be a signal from the body.  

Dr. Alvarez explains why hair changes are common during perimenopause and menopause, when shifting estrogen levels, relative androgen changes, sleep disruption, stress, insulin resistance, and metabolic changes can all affect the hair growth cycle. She also explains why, from a cardiologist’s perspective, symptoms like hair thinning, fatigue, weight changes, and sleep problems should not be looked at in isolation — because this stage of life is also a metabolic and cardiovascular transition.  

With clarity and compassion, she breaks down:

• Why hair loss can feel so emotional for women
• How estrogen helps support the hair growth cycle
• Why perimenopause can shift the balance between growth and shedding
• Why hair follicles are sensitive to hormones, blood flow, nutrition, sleep, and stress
• Common myths about hair loss, including the belief that “nothing can be done”
• Minimum tests to discuss with your doctor, including iron levels, thyroid function, lipid panel, and metabolic markers
• Five practical steps to support hair and overall health: sleep, protein and nutrient-dense foods, strength training, stress management, and working with clinicians who understand women’s midlife physiology

This episode is a reminder that hair loss is not vanity, and it is not something women should be told to simply accept. Hair can be information — biology growing in plain sight. If your body is changing, listen early, ask better questions, and work with a clinician who understands the connection between hormones, metabolism, and women’s heart health.

Because becoming the CEO of your own health starts with taking your symptoms seriously.

Visit NitzaMD.com
 Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this Ask the Heart Doctor-style episode, Dr. Alvarez tackles one of the most misunderstood symptoms many women experience in their late 30s and 40s: sudden anxiety. If your heart starts racing, your chest feels tight, your mind starts spinning, or you wake up at night with nervous energy, you may have been told it is “just stress” or “just anxiety.” But what if your body is actually sending a hormone signal?

Dr. Alvarez explains why anxiety-like symptoms can appear during perimenopause, even when nothing major has changed in your life. As estrogen and other hormones begin to fluctuate, they can affect the brain, nervous system, blood vessels, sleep, and even the heart. What feels emotional may actually be physiological.  

With clarity and compassion, she breaks down:

• Why hormones are not just about reproduction — they are communication signals throughout the body
• How estrogen interacts with serotonin, dopamine, the nervous system, blood vessels, and the heart
• Why women can become more sensitive to stress, caffeine, poor sleep, and heart palpitations during hormonal shifts
• Why perimenopause can begin earlier than many women realize, sometimes in the late 30s
• Why palpitations are often benign, but should still be evaluated when they are new or disruptive
• The minimum tests women should know about, including thyroid testing, complete blood count, ferritin/iron levels, blood sugar markers, hemoglobin A1c, and lipid panel
• Five practical steps women can take: tracking symptoms and cycles, prioritizing sleep, strength training, reducing caffeine, and advocating for themselves during medical visits

This episode is a powerful reminder that anxiety is not always weakness, and it is not always “all in your head.” Sometimes it is information. Sometimes it is your nervous system responding to real changes happening inside your body. And when women understand those signals early, they can stop blaming themselves and start asking better questions.

Because becoming the CEO of your own health starts with listening to your body — and taking your symptoms seriously.

Visit NitzaMD.com
Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook.

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez takes on one of the most common yet misunderstood symptoms women experience during perimenopause and menopause: hot flashes and night sweats. What many dismiss as just a frustrating sleep disruption may actually be an important physiologic signal that the body is going through a major hormonal and cardiovascular transition.  

Dr. Alvarez explains how fluctuating estrogen levels can disrupt the brain’s temperature regulation system, triggering sudden night sweats and hot flashes — and why those symptoms matter beyond comfort. She connects the dots between hormonal shifts, sleep disruption, rising stress hormones, blood pressure changes, cholesterol patterns, and long-term heart health.  

With clarity and urgency, she breaks down:

• Why hot flashes and night sweats are not “just part of getting older”

• How estrogen changes affect the nervous system, vascular system, and cardiovascular risk

• Why poor sleep during this transition can have a ripple effect on metabolism, energy, weight, and heart health

• The myths women are often told about vasomotor symptoms — and what is actually true

• Why hormone replacement therapy may be an important treatment option for many women, when guided by the right clinician

• What minimum testing women should discuss with their doctor, including a lipid panel, blood pressure monitoring, and thyroid testing  

This episode is a reminder that your body is not failing — it is communicating. Hot flashes may be more than an inconvenience. They may be one of the early warning signs that it is time to pay attention, ask questions, and take action. Because protecting your heart starts with listening to your body — and becoming the CEO of your own health.  

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez breaks down one of the biggest myths keeping women confused and dismissed: the belief that you are “too young” for hormonal changes before 40. If your period has changed, your sleep feels off, your mood is different, your weight is harder to manage, or you simply do not feel like yourself, this episode explains why those shifts may be early signs of perimenopause — and why they should not be ignored.

Through both clinical insight and real-life perspective, Dr. Alvarez walks listeners through the 12 signs most women miss, including changes in cycle length and bleeding patterns, sleep disruption, anxiety, irritability, brain fog, hot flashes, palpitations, weight changes, joint pain, libido shifts, and bladder or vaginal symptoms. She explains how hormonal fluctuations can begin years before menopause, how these changes affect not only quality of life but also long-term cardiometabolic health, and why women deserve more than being told it is “just stress.”

With clarity and urgency, she also covers:

• Why perimenopause can begin earlier than many women expect

• How hormonal shifts can affect the brain, heart, metabolism, and overall well-being

• The myths that keep women dismissed or misdiagnosed

• The minimum tests to discuss with your doctor, including thyroid, iron, cholesterol, blood sugar, vitamin levels, and when hormone testing may be appropriate

• How to advocate for yourself clearly and effectively during medical appointments

• When to seek a second opinion without guilt

• Five practical steps you can start this week to better understand and support your body

This episode is a direct reminder that your body is communicating long before it starts screaming. You do not need to have every symptom for your experience to be real. Becoming the CEO of your own health starts with paying attention early, asking better questions, and refusing to dismiss what your body is trying to tell you.

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.  

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez unpacks one of the most frustrating and misunderstood changes many women experience in midlife: weight gain that seems to happen despite eating better, exercising, and doing everything “right.” If your body feels like it is no longer responding the way it used to, this episode explains why the issue may not be your discipline — it may be your physiology.  

Dr. Alvarez explains how hormonal and metabolic changes during perimenopause can alter the way the body uses energy, stores fat, and responds to stress. She breaks down three major drivers that may be blocking weight loss: insulin resistance, fluctuating estrogen, and elevated cortisol. She also explains why fat gain around the abdomen is not just a cosmetic concern, but a potential cardiovascular warning sign tied to inflammation, metabolic syndrome, and heart risk.    

With clarity and urgency, she breaks down:

• Why insulin resistance can keep the body in fat-storage mode
• Why estrogen changes during perimenopause shift fat toward the abdomen
• How chronic stress and elevated cortisol disrupt sleep, metabolism, and weight regulation
• Why eating less is not always the answer — and how overly restrictive dieting can backfire
• Why midlife weight gain is not inevitable failure, but a biological signal that can be addressed
• Why abdominal fat is metabolically active and linked to cardiovascular risk
• What lab work may help uncover the real issue, including fasting insulin, hemoglobin A1c, thyroid testing, and estradiol
• Practical steps to support metabolic health, including prioritizing protein, strength training, sleep, stress management, and hormone evaluation    

This episode is a powerful reminder that weight that will not budge is rarely just about willpower. More often, it is information. Your body may be signaling that something in your metabolic system has shifted — and when you understand that signal, you can take action early to protect your long-term health. Becoming the CEO of your own health starts with listening to your body and asking better questions.  

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez speaks directly to the fear so many women carry in silence: forgetting words, losing focus, walking into a room and forgetting why they are there, or wondering if something is wrong with their brain. For many women, these moments are deeply unsettling — but as Dr. Alvarez explains, they are often not signs of dementia at all. They may be signs of perimenopause.  

Dr. Alvarez breaks down the science behind brain fog during the menopausal transition, explaining that estrogen is not just a reproductive hormone — it is also a brain hormone that affects memory, focus, processing speed, blood flow, and inflammation. When estrogen fluctuates, the brain feels it. And for many women, that can show up as cognitive changes that feel scary, frustrating, and isolating.  

With clarity and reassurance, she explains:

• Why brain fog is one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause
• Why hormonal changes can affect both the brain and the cardiovascular system
• Why this stage of life is not just a hormonal transition, but also a heart health transition
• The myths women are often told about brain fog — and the truth behind them
• The minimum tests worth discussing with your doctor, including lipid panel, fasting glucose/insulin resistance markers, and thyroid function
• Practical steps that can help, including improving sleep, strength training, reducing alcohol, and supporting the brain with better nutrition and informed clinical care  

Dr. Alvarez also shares an encouraging reminder: research shows that many women experience cognitive changes during this transition, and for many, those symptoms improve once the transition stabilizes. This episode is both a reassurance and a call to action — your brain is not necessarily failing; it may be adapting.  

If you have been feeling mentally slower, more forgetful, or unlike yourself lately, this episode will help you understand what your body may be trying to tell you. Because when women understand the connection between hormones, the brain, and the heart, they can stop blaming themselves, start asking better questions, and become the CEO of their own health.  

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.  

In this episode, Dr. Alvarez breaks down one of the most misunderstood hormones in women’s health: testosterone. Far too often labeled a “male hormone,” testosterone has been overlooked in women for decades — despite the fact that it plays a critical role in energy, motivation, muscle mass, metabolism, brain function, sexual desire, and even vascular health.    

Through the story of a woman in midlife who no longer felt like herself, Dr. Alvarez explains how hormone shifts during perimenopause and menopause can affect far more than libido. She connects the dots between testosterone, cardiometabolic health, inflammation, blood pressure, sleep, and long-term heart risk — making the case that hormone care without cardiovascular awareness is incomplete care.    

With clarity and urgency, she unpacks:

• Why testosterone is not just about sex — it is a metabolic, vascular, and reproductive hormone in women

• Why women naturally produce testosterone, and why calling it a “male hormone” is misleading

• The biggest myths about testosterone therapy in women

• Why symptoms cannot be understood from one lab value alone

• Which tests matter most, including total testosterone, SHBG, free testosterone, lipids, ApoB, glucose, A1C, and blood pressure

• Why physiologic dosing, proper testing, and careful monitoring matter

• Five practical steps women can take right now to protect both their hormones and their hearts      

This episode is both a reality check and an invitation: if your energy, desire, metabolism, or sense of self has changed, do not ignore it. Understanding your hormones is not vanity — it is part of understanding your cardiovascular health, your vitality, and your future. Because becoming the CEO of your own health starts with finally understanding the biology no one ever explained to you.  

Visit NitzaMD.com

Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook

I AM YOU is hosted by Dr. Nitza I. Alvarez, MD, FACC — board-certified cardiologist, Women’s Heart Specialist, and bestselling author. Each episode shares real stories and expert insights to help women protect the heart that carries them through every stage of life — and step into their power as the CEO of their own health.

In this Ask the Heart Doctor-style episode, Dr. Alvarez answers some of the most urgent questions women ask when they feel unheard, dismissed, exhausted, or afraid that something deeper is being missed. This is a powerful conversation about self-advocacy, prevention, and the dangerous cost of waiting too long to take symptoms seriously.

If you’ve ever seen multiple providers and still felt like no one was truly listening, this episode is for you. Dr. Alvarez explains how women can better advocate for themselves, why understanding and clearly describing symptoms matters, and why finding a provider who truly listens can be life-changing. She also challenges one of the most common mindsets in medicine: waiting until things get bad enough for the emergency room. Her message is clear — prevention is always better than reaction.

With urgency and clarity, she breaks down:

• How women can advocate for themselves when they feel dismissed by the medical system

• Why frustration can interfere with communication — and how to present symptoms more effectively

• Why education is power, and how informed women can have stronger conversations with their providers

• Why you should never settle for a doctor who doesn’t listen

• Why asking “What should send me to the ER?” is the wrong question — and what to ask instead

• The critical importance of prevention, proactive testing, and thorough cardiovascular evaluation

• What women should know about heart function, valves, rhythm, arteries, cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and more

• How anxiety, depression, chronic stress, and sleep deprivation directly affect the heart and increase cardiovascular risk

• Why exhaustion, fatigue, and unexplained tiredness may be more than “just stress” — and when they could be heart-related

• Why women in menopause and post-menopause especially need to take these symptoms seriously

This episode is both a wake-up call and an invitation: stop normalizing exhaustion, dismissal, and silence. If something feels wrong, keep asking questions. Keep pushing for answers. Becoming the CEO of your own health starts with listening to your body, taking your symptoms seriously, and refusing to settle for less than the care you deserve.      

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Follow @NitzaMD on Instagram and Facebook