180. Healthy Gut, Healthy Menopause

Today’s guest on NP Pulse is Donna Willenbrock, an obesity specialist and expert in nutrition. Willenbrock begins by discussing the many connections between a healthy gut and a healthy menopause, and then guides us through hot topics related to staying well at any age — including hydration, physical activity and the many benefits of foods like raw broccoli and even dark chocolate. 

Experts in hypercortisolism and clinicians curious to learn more will find today’s episode of NP Pulse both enriching and relevant. Kathleen “KC” Arnold and Breanna Shenk join the podcast to explore how hypercortisolism manifests and share what NPs should always keep in mind when it comes to the disorder. This podcast is made possible by Corcept Therapeutics.

Robin Arends returns to NP Pulse to speak about an important topic: navigating dementia care. Arends discusses when to start screening patients for dementia, details the different types of dementia and offers suggestions to help older patients stay mentally active.

In this episode, Dr. Marissa Abram and Theodore Hudson explore how stigma around substance use disorder shows up in everyday interactions — and how those moments can either reinforce shame or support recovery. The podcast highlights the need for health care providers to model healthy relationships, engage with curiosity and foster an environment of hope and support for individuals navigating recovery.   Objectives: Identify at least one way stigma related to substance use disorder can manifest in clinical relationships. Explain how everyday clinical interactions can influence recovery for people with substance use disorder. Describe two practical strategies clinicians can use to reduce shame and support autonomy in brief or high-pressure encounters. A participation code will be provided at the end of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the [link to activity in CE Center]. Click on the "Next Steps" button of the activity and: Enter the participation code that was provided. Complete the posttest. Complete the activity evaluation. This will award your continuing education (CE) credit and certificate of completion. 0.83 of CE will be available through March 31, 2027 Funder statement: This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from the Opioid Analgesics REMS Program Companies (RPC).

In this episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®️, Drs. Erin Sinnaeve and Julianne Doucette discuss immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergies, current prevention strategies, diagnostic best-practices and evolving treatment options — including early allergen introduction, oral immunotherapy and biologic therapies — to support safe, evidence-based care.   Upon successful completion of this podcast, you will be able to:  Review the pathophysiology and subsequent patient journey associated with IgE-mediated food allergies.    Evaluate the trial data and practice-changing potential of monoclonal antibodies in a new era of food allergy management.    Develop evidence-driven care plans focused on mitigating patient and caregiver burden, and safely and effectively reducing IgE-mediated reactions in patients with food allergies.    A participation code will be provided at the END of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the AANP CE Center and follow these steps:  Register for this activity.  Click on the "Next Steps" button.  Enter the participation code that was provided.  Complete the activity evaluation.  This will award your continuing education (CE) credit and certificate of completion.  1.25 CE will be available through March 31, 2027.  Listeners are encouraged to explore the accompanying food allergy point-of-care tool to support clinical decision-making.   The Hidden Burden: Understanding Food Allergies and Their Impact This podcast is supported by an education grant from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group. 

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) is proud to announce that AANP’s official podcast, NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, has just surpassed one million downloads! Thank you for supporting this program across nearly 200 episodes. Whether you’re looking for discussions around the most important nurse practitioner (NP) topics, in-depth conversations with NPs or free continuing education (CE) credit from our accredited podcasts, we are proud to serve you as The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®.

Robin Beach is an HIV specialist who began to turn a critical eye to the usefulness of body mass index (BMI) when it came to understanding the overall health of a patient. On the latest episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, she speaks with Sophia Thomas about using waist circumference as a way to measure the health of specific patient populations instead of BMI, and offers practical strategies for bringing this new tool into routine practice. 

In this episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®️, Dr. Kenneth Wells, Dr. Bowen Chung and Felica Jones will discuss the role of primary care providers in a collaborative care approach to depression treatment for adults living in under-resourced communities. Learn more about their research by reading the A Community-Partnered, Participatory, Cluster-Randomized Study of Depression Care Quality Improvement: Three-Year Outcomes study. Upon successful completion of this podcast, you will be able to: Define under-resourced communities and collaborative care. Compare using a coalition approach to a traditional technical assistance program for serving adults with depression. Discuss how to engage patients as partners in research. This episode was developed as part of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners’® (AANP) Clinical Effectiveness Research Initiative, which is funded by a Eugene Washington Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Engagement Award (EADI #35224).  A participation code will be provided at the END of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the AANP CE Center and follow these steps: Register for this activity. Click on the "Next Steps" button. Enter the participation code that was provided. Complete the activity evaluation. This will award your continuing education (CE) credit and certificate of completion. 0.75 CE will be available through Feb. 29, 2028.  Please see below for links to resources that the speakers mentioned in the episode. Community Partners in Care (CPIC): Learn more about this collaborative research project of community and academic partners working together to provide depression-related services to under-resourced communities. Depression Toolkit Resources: This toolkit contains a screening instrument, care management forms, cognitive behavioral therapy resources and educational videos. Together for Wellness: A collection of mental health and wellness resources for youth and their parents and caregivers that is available in English and Spanish.

Nurse practitioner expert Paula Tucker returns to NP Pulse for a discussion on concussion. She gives advice on how to best identify and manage patients who present with concussion, and provides NPs with the assurance and tools they need to not feel overwhelmed when treating mTBI.

In this episode, Leslie Davis, PhD, ANP, FAANP, and nurse practitioner Linda Wellman discuss ANOCA/INOCA—angina or ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries—an underdiagnosed condition affecting millions. Through expert commentary and lived experience, the conversation highlights why "normal" cardiac catheterization results can still miss serious heart disease. Listeners will hear Linda’s journey as a patient with ANOCA, learn about diagnostic challenges, treatment considerations, and the critical role nurse practitioners play in advocacy and care. While this condition affects both men and women, women with symptoms are more likely to be dismissed by health care providers, leading to delays in diagnosis and treatment. This episode calls for greater awareness to reduce delays, improve outcomes, and support patients whose symptoms have too often been dismissed.   Learning Objectives Define and differentiate ANOCA/INOCA from obstructive coronary artery disease, including identifying at least two underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms (e.g., microvascular dysfunction and coronary artery spasm). Recognize clinical red flags by identifying at least three patient presentation features that should prompt consideration of ANOCA/INOCA despite a normal coronary angiogram. Apply evidence-informed management principles by listing at least three diagnostic or treatment strategies (e.g., specialized invasive testing, tailored pharmacologic therapy, cardiac rehabilitation) appropriate for patients with suspected or confirmed ANOCA/INOCA.   Learners may claim 0.75 CE credit for this program through February 29, 2028.   A participation code will be provided at the end of the podcast — make sure to write this code down. Once you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, register for this activity in the AANP CE Center and then visit your My CE Activities page. Click on the "Next Steps" button of the activity and: Enter the participation code that was provided. Complete the overall program evaluation.   This activity is supported by AANP.