All women will face menopause at some point, but a new study reveals early menopause is linked to Type 2 diabetes.
For the past seven years, Dr. Supneet Ssaluja has been working with 70-year-old Bernadine Brodgon to get her Type 2 diabetes under control.
And the two are a perfect doctor- patient pair.
"When I met her my A1 C was 13.7 I believe when i met her, now it's down to 5," said Type 2 diabetes patient, Bernadine Brodgon.
When Bernadine was 32, she had endometriosis and one day on her menstrual cycle - heavy bleeding from a fibrod tumor led to an emergency surgery, that resulted in a hysterectomy.
"He found it back behind my large intestines and it was about the size of a grapefruit," said Brogdon.
A surgical hysterectomy, that saved her life but forced her into early menopause.
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She later developed Type 2 diabetes.
Now 38 years later, analysis from data of 13 studies and published in Bottom Line health shows a link between early menopause and Type 2 diabetes.
Dr. Saluja says that link is likely caused by a number of changes that occur during menopause.
"Mood changes, sleep disturbance and weight gain and those are quite disturbing to women of this age but what also happens is a drop in estrogen levels and that can cause change in your fat distribution and that can put you at risk for diabetes," said physician Dr. Supneet Saluja.
Early menopause is considered to be anyone in their early 40's no matter if it's natural or surgical.
If you are experiencing the symptoms, Dr. Saluja says its important to talk to your doctor about the your overall health to lower your risk for diabetes later in life.
"I tell my patients to use a portion control diet and increase physical activity," said Dr. Saluja.
And though bernadine has been through a lot, she's a shining example of how you can get things back on track.
Doctors say making healthy lifestyle choices such as getting plenty of exercise and eating healthy foods can also help.
