Dr. Poonam Desai: The 5 Labs Women Need, Heart Disease Risk, Microplastics, and Perimenopause
Most women have had bloodwork done. What most women haven't had is the right bloodwork.
In this episode, Dr. Poonam Desai, double board certified in lifestyle and emergency medicine, NAM certified in menopause care, and founder of Longevity Place and Her Longevity, breaks down the five labs she runs on every female patient, the optimal values most physicians aren't targeting, and why the standard panel tells you almost nothing about long-term cardiovascular risk, metabolic health, or inflammation. This is one of the most practical longevity conversations I've had for women who want to know where they actually stand.
We also go deep on the three female life phases medicine consistently underserves, how women's cardiac symptoms are still being dismissed in clinical settings, and what a real foundational protocol looks like before any advanced intervention enters the picture. The perimenopause section is worth your full attention, what is shifting hormonally and metabolically, why those symptoms should not be pushed through, and why the window for acting is earlier than most women are told.
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In This Conversation:
-Why women need a different longevity lens than men
-The cardiovascular markers Dr. Desai wants women tracking early
-Why blood pressure, resting heart rate, HRV, and snoring matter more than people think
-How to use bowel movements as a simple gut-health signal
-Why she starts with fiber before protein
-The overlooked role of toxins, plastics, and hormone disruptors
-What women should not ignore in perimenopause
-Why knowing your numbers early changes everything
Chapters:
00:00:00 Trailer
00:01:23 Why Women's Longevity Needs Its Own Medicine
00:02:43 The Three Female Life Phases Medicine Still Gets Wrong
00:05:28 What ER Medicine Taught Her About Longevity
00:07:34 How Women's Heart Attacks Get Missed and Dismissed
00:11:19 The 5 Labs Every Woman Should Know
00:13:07 Optimal Values and What They Actually Mean
00:14:50 Blood Pressure at Home, Gut Health, and What to Track
00:24:05 Why Snoring Is a Bigger Warning Sign Than You Think
00:26:56 Why Foundations Beat Biohacking Every Time
00:33:13 The Basic Protocol: Sleep, Morning Habits, and Coffee Quality
00:39:24 How to Think About Movement If You Are Starting From Zero
00:43:38 Why Fiber Should Come Before Protein
00:50:50 Toxins, Microplastics, and Social Connection
00:56:08 Perimenopause Symptoms You Should Not Be Ignoring
00:58:42 Hormone Replacement Therapy Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
01:00:04 Know Your Numbers: The Best Place to Start
Connect with Kayla:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylabarnes/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@femalelongevity
Twitter:https://x.com/femalelongevity
Website:https://www.kaylabarnes.com/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4OLWWn22RGB0argbRPvAaQ?si=8e91b3c9e0ce4054
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/longevity-optimization-with-kayla-barnes-lentz/id1591130227
Follow Her Female Protocol: https://www.protocol.kaylabarnes.com
Learn more about Dr. Poonam Desai:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drpoonamdesai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-poonam-desai/Website: https://www.drpoonamdesai.com/
Her Substack: https://drpoonamdesai.substack.com/
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