
Dr Caoimhe Hartley | What Menopause Care Should Really Look Like #172
From The Laura Dowling Experience by Laura Dowling
June 4, 2026 · 58 min · Episode 172
About this episode
Laura Dowling discusses menopause care with Dr Caoimhe Hartley, focusing on personalized treatment and the challenges faced by women over 60.
What does proper midlife care actually look like, and who keeps getting left out of it? In this episode, Laura sits down with Dr Caoimhe Hartley - founder of Menopause Health in Dalkey, clinical lead of the Complex Menopause Clinic in the Rotunda, and clinical lead for women's medicine at the new BlackRock Health Women's Health Centre. They talk about the women being told no - those over 60 who feel they have missed the boat on HRT, and those who have come through breast cancer and are still struggling with symptoms. Caoimhe explains where the evidence actually sits on bones, blood vessels and brain, why so much of what gets repeated still comes from the Women's Health Initiative, and how modern HRT differs from the older oral preparations. The conversation moves through midlife weight gain and changing body shape, the rise in adult ADHD diagnoses, and the link between oestrogen and dopamine. They also dig into osteoporosis screening in Ireland, why there is no national DEXA programme, dietary calcium, and the histamine flare some women notice on HRT. Throughout, Caoimhe keeps coming back to the same point - care should be personal, joined up and built around the woman in front…
People in this episode
Host: Laura Dowling
Guest: Dr Caoimhe Hartley
Topics covered
- menopause care
- HRT
- midlife health
- women's health
- osteoporosis
- ADHD
- personalized care
Keywords
- menopause
- HRT
- midlife weight gain
- osteoporosis screening
- oestrogen
- dopamine
- breast cancer
- adult ADHD
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Menopause Health, Rotunda, BlackRock Health Women's Health Centre
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