Dr. William Declerck | (Peri)menopause and its impact: how your hormones influence much more than you think, and what you can do about it.
What if your body changes, but no one ever explained to you why? In episode 5 of The Cosmetic Conspiracy, Dr. Barbara Geusens talks to Dr. William Declerck, physician and co-founder & CMO of Uma Health, about the impact of (peri)menopause and why hormones affect so much more than just hot flashes or your cycle.
“Those hormones influence more than 200 processes in your body.”
During perimenopause, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone begin to fluctuate significantly. Later, these hormone levels drop sharply. The result? Processes throughout the entire body become unbalanced. From sleep, muscle mass, and bone health to insulin sensitivity, energy, and inflammatory processes.
And yet, menopause receives surprisingly little attention in classical medicine.
“During medical school, about ten pages are devoted to the menopause.”
For William, that was one of the reasons to co-found Uma Health. Not an approach that treats one complaint in isolation, but a system that looks at the whole. He calls it a ‘crack in the system’; according to him, it doesn't fit anywhere into the medical framework we are taught.
He also emphasizes the importance of lifestyle: if you live healthily, your body will generally age less quickly, which can translate into ovaries that last longer.
“Stopping it is difficult, but you can ensure your set-up is as positive as possible.”
Stress, poor sleep, lack of exercise, lots of sugar, and highly processed food can further fuel inflammation. You cannot stop menopause, but you can try to help your body enter that phase as strong as possible.
“Every woman is completely different. Every body is completely different.”
According to William, hormone therapy is also not a standard prescription. Every woman reacts differently. What works for one person does little for another. Dosage, method of administration, and timing can all make a difference and must therefore be monitored and adjusted.
For him, that is the future of medicine: not waiting until one problem becomes significant enough to treat separately, but looking at how different systems influence each other and working with the patient to determine what is feasible.
“In my view, that is the new wave of medicine, in which you truly coach.”
The most important message? Women do not need to spend years searching for answers. The sooner you understand what is changing in your body, the more effectively you can address it.
