What is happening in the clinical world of menopause? Read seven highlights from the Menopause Society 2024 Annual Meeting from Dr. Karla Loken.
Menopause symptoms impact women in the workplace. Employers can help.
The Menopause Society has just launched Making Menopause WorkTM, a new initiative aimed to help employers employ optimal practices and policies that support individuals who experience menopause symptoms in the workplace.
Hormone therapy (HT) remains the “gold standard” for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS).
There are various evidence-based and FDA-approved types of hormone therapies for women across the ages. Did you know that there are FDA-approved hormone therapies that are considered ‘bioidentical’? There are also a whole new class of drugs, one already in use and FDA-approved, which act on neurotransmitters and can treat VMS in patients for which hormone therapy is contraindicated.
Did you know that menopause and hormonal changes can have an impact on your voice?
Throat dryness, muscle atrophy, and vocal chord changes during menopause can cause changes to your voice. New technology will eventually lead to using voice studies to predict disease as we age, such as the onset of Parkinson’s disease. Truly fascinating!
Based on the current evidence, guidelines continue to recommend against prescribing hormone therapy to prevent or treat declining cognitive function or dementia.
There is a need for additional research into the link between the impact of hormone therapy on cognitive function and dementia, specifically in symptomatic individuals who are appropriate candidates for receiving HT. Starting hormone therapy > 10 years out from the start of menopause could potentially be more harmful cardiovascularly and for cognitive function. Yes, at 63 your estrogen levels will be lower, but starting women on HT later is not always the answer.
Perimenopause and primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) are not the same!
Perimenopause is the time that occurs leading up to menopause, also known as the menopause transition. It is a period marked by declining hormone levels, irregular menstrual cycles, and menopause-like symptoms. Conversely, POI occurs when the ovaries fail to function as they typically should in women younger than age 40. This leads to the onset of various symptoms such as irregular menses, changes in libido, and infertility, among others. The symptoms for both can be confusing and frustrating, but differentiating can lead to better customized treatment.
Have you heard of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive-behavioral therapy is an evidence-based, non-pharmacological treatment that focuses on developing and employing effective strategies to respond to distressing feelings and thoughts as they arise, in a way that improves an individual’s health and well-being.
- In the setting of insomnia, CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) is considered the “gold standard” of treatment for improving chronic insomnia.
- In the setting of menopausal symptoms, there is strong evidence that CBT, used as a standalone treatment or as an add-on treatment modality, can alleviate bothersome vasomotor symptoms.
AI is at an inflection point in healthcare.
The application of AI in the setting of midlife women’s health—spanning use in drug development, procedure, operations, diagnostics, and patient monitoring—can help clinicians create tailored and personalized care plans that optimize health outcomes.