Your menopause is partly genetically determined, but that is not the whole story.
Many women think that menopause "just happens." Unpredictable. Uncontrollable. Something that happens to you and over which you have little control.
But that is not entirely correct.
Science shows that genetics plays an important role in when your menopause begins. At the same time, your DNA does not determine how you experience or get through this phase. And that is exactly where your space lies.
In this article, I will take you through what heredity does and does not determine, what science says about it, and why this is important for how you view this stage of life.
The role of genetics in menopause
Research shows that the timing of menopause is genetically determined for approximately 40 to 60 percent. That is a significant percentage and explains why the age of menopause is often passed down from mother to daughter.
A number of studies have convincingly mapped this out:
Treloar et al. (1998) showed that the age at which women enter menopause is strongly genetically determined.
Van Asselt et al. (2004) showed that there is a clear correlation between the age of menopause of mother and daughter.
Day et al. (2015), published in Nature Genetics , identified multiple genes that influence the timing of menopause.
In concrete terms, this means that the age at which your mother entered menopause can provide a valuable indication of your own timing. It is not a guarantee, but it is an indication you can take into account.
But genetics is not everything
And this is exactly where many women miss something crucial:
How you experience menopause is not solely genetically determined.
Large international studies show that lifestyle and general health play an important role in both when menopause starts and how severely it is experienced. The InterLACE Study , a large-scale study combining data from more than 50 cohorts, demonstrated that factors such as BMI, smoking, and lifestyle measurably influence the age of menopause.
In other words: the timing is largely biological, but the experience certainly is not.
Factors that influence how you get through this phase:
chronic stress and your recovery ability
your diet and blood sugar stability
sleep quality and sleep rhythm
physical activity and muscle mass
your overall health and any underlying conditions
Together, these factors determine how intensely you experience symptoms, how much energy you retain, and how well your body adapts to hormonal changes.
Not only your body changes, but your brain does too.
An aspect that often remains underexposed in the consulting room and in general information: menopause is not just physical. Your brain changes too.
Research shows that the decline in estrogen and progesterone affects:
your mood and emotional resilience
your stress sensitivity and how quickly you feel full
cognitive functions such as concentration and memory
Clinical guidelines from the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) confirm that these neurological and mental changes are an essential part of menopause. Not a side issue, not imagination, but a measurable consequence of hormonal changes.
For many women, this is a relief to read. Because it explains why you sometimes feel less like yourself, even though physically "there is nothing wrong with you."
Why this is so important to know
Many women think:
"It's set in stone." "I just have to get through this." "My mother had a hard time too, so I'm going to have a hard time as well."
But that is not the whole truth. And it is a thought that makes you passive, whereas this phase actually calls for active ownership.
You have influence.
Not on everything. Not on the timing of your body's transition into menopause. Not on the fact that hormones change. But definitely on:
how your body reacts to those changes
how much energy you retain
how mentally stable you remain
how strong you get through this phase
So the question is not whether it happens to you. The question is: what do you do with it?
What you really need at this stage
No new quick fix. No one-size-fits-all protocol. No reset promise suggesting you can go back to how it was.
What you need is fundamentally different:
Understanding. Understanding what is happening in your body and brain, and why old strategies no longer work.
Insight. Gaining insight into your own patterns, into what exacerbates your symptoms and what actually supports you.
Direction. Knowing which choices work for you in this specific phase of your life, instead of continuing to search endlessly.
This is not a quick fix. This is a foundation that will last you for decades to come.
Why Victorious Women takes a different view of menopause
At Victorious Women, I work based on three pillars that are essential in this phase: education, scientifically grounded knowledge, and ownership.
I believe that women do not need ready-made advice, but an understanding of what is happening and why. With attention to:
body and brain
behavior and lifestyle
your unique context, not an average one
So that you no longer have to guess or Google, but can understand. And from that understanding, choose what suits you.
Finally: your menopause is not entirely set in stone.
Your genetics provide a direction. But it does not determine your destination.
And that is good news. Because it means that you have influence on how you get through this phase and who you come out of it who.
Do you really want to understand what is happening in your body and brain and learn how to not only get through this phase, but come out of it stronger?
That is exactly what the Victorious Women Academy is designed for. In six months, I will guide you using The Root to Rise Method™ through everything you need to rebuild your foundation: from understanding your body to building strength, energy, and mental resilience for the coming decades.
No quick fix. No standard protocol. But an in-depth program that teaches you to take control, with knowledge, guidance, and a community of women going through this phase with you.
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