Please Join Us!

Date & Time
November 14, 2026 from 10AM to 2PM EST
Location
This event is online. The link to attend will be in your confirmation email.

Mass General Brigham Women's Heart Health Program is thrilled to provide a free, virtual symposium with short educational talks, ask-the-expert discussion, case-based roundtables, rapid myth-busting, and live Q&A. 

This symposium is designed to help women understand menopause symptoms, cardiovascular risk, treatment options, and practical next steps for prevention.

Featured Speakers

SYMPOSIUM AGENDA

  • 10:00 am - 10:05 am

    Welcome and Opening Remarks

    Emily Lau, MD, MPH and Amy Sarma, MD

  • 10:05 am - 10:15 am

    History of Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease

    Emily Lau, MD, MPH

    A brief opening frame on how understanding of menopause and cardiovascular disease has evolved, why prior messages about hormones and heart health can feel confusing, and how current care emphasizes individualized risk assessment, symptom treatment, and prevention.

  • 10:15 am - 10:35 am

    Menopause 101 - What Is Happening in My Body?

    Deborah Kwolek, MD

    A patient-friendly overview of perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause; common symptoms; hormonal changes; expected timing; and when symptoms such as abnormal bleeding should prompt medical evaluation.

  • 10:35 am - 10:55 am

    Menopause as a Cardiovascular Turning Point

    Colleen Harrington, MD

    Why cardiovascular risk can change during midlife and after menopause, including changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, body composition, insulin resistance, sleep, inflammation, vascular health, and cardiometabolic risk.

  • 10:55 am - 11:15 am

    Know Your Numbers, Know Your Risk

    Sanchita Singal Parulkar, MD

    A practical guide to the key cardiovascular health numbers every woman should know, including blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), hemoglobin A1c, body weight, family history, pregnancy history, and how clinicians estimate cardiovascular risk.

  • 11:15 am - 11:35 am

    Ask the Experts: Supplements, Lifestyle & Statins in Midlife

    Moderator: Maria Pabon, MD
    Panelists: Colleen Harrington, MD; Sanchita Singal Parulkar, MD

    A practical ask-the-experts session addressing common patient questions about supplements, lifestyle changes, cholesterol-lowering medications, and how to think about prevention decisions in midlife.

    • 11:35am - 11:45 am

      Break

    • 11:45 am - 12:05 pm

      Treating Menopause Symptoms - Hormonal and Nonhormonal Options

      TBD

      A practical overview of treatment options for vasomotor symptoms, sleep disruption, genitourinary symptoms, and quality-of-life concerns. This session will review menopause hormone therapy, nonhormonal prescription options, local vaginal therapies, behavioral strategies, and how treatment decisions are individualized based on symptoms, preferences, medical history, and cardiovascular risk.

    • 12:05 pm - 12:25 pm

      Premature Menopause

      Michael Honigberg, MD, MPP

      How menopause before the usual age range - including premature, early, and surgical menopause - may affect long-term cardiovascular health. This session will cover what patients should know, what to discuss with clinicians, and how prevention and symptom treatment may differ for younger women.

    • 12:25 pm - 12:45 pm

      Case-Based Expert Roundtable: Hormone Therapy vs. Not Hormone Therapy

      Moderator: Bhavya Varma, MD
      Panelists: Emily Lau, MD, MPH; Nandita Scott, MD; Tara Iyer, MD

      A patient-centered discussion of how to choose among hormonal and nonhormonal options. Topics include who may be a good candidate for hormone therapy, who may be better served by nonhormonal approaches, how cardiovascular risk factors influence decisions, whether dose and route matter, and how to revisit the plan over time.

    • 12:45 pm - 1:05 pm

      Exercise in Midlife

      TBD

      Practical guidance on using exercise to support cardiovascular health during and after menopause, including aerobic activity, strength training, balance, realistic goal-setting, and ways to get started when symptoms, sleep disruption, weight gain, or busy schedules make exercise feel difficult.

    • 1:05 pm - 1:35 pm

      Special Heart Health Issues in Midlife Women

      Sarah Tsiaras, MD

      Overview of cardiovascular conditions that disproportionately affect or present differently in women, including INOCA (ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries), ANOCA (angina with non-obstructive coronary arteries) and SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection).

    • 1:35 pm - 1:50 pm

      Myths & Facts

      Moderator: Diana Lopez, MD 
      Panelists: Amy Sarma, MD; Sohah Iqbal, MD

      A rapid, patient-friendly myth-busting session focused on common questions about menopause symptoms, hormone therapy, nonhormonal treatment options, cardiovascular risk, supplements, weight, exercise, and when to seek specialty care.

    • 1:50 pm - 2 pm

      Closing Remarks and Resources

      Emily Lau, MD, MPH and Amy Sarma, MD

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