Menopause
Wrist cooling could help managing hot flash study finds
A cooling wristband device was found to reduce severe hot flash episodes by 46 per cent in breast cancer patients, prostate cancer patients and postmenopausal women, new research has shown.
The device reduced severe episodes by 41 per cent in breast cancer patients and 50 per cent in prostate cancer patients and postmenopausal women.
It also lowered daily hot flash frequency by 18 per cent.
Hot flashes – sudden, temporary sensations of body warmth, often with flushing and sweating during the day and night (night sweats) – are classed as vasomotor symptoms (VMS).]
These affect up to 80 per cent of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women, 80 per cent of ageing men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer, and between 50 and 80 per cent of breast cancer patients on hormone therapy.
The randomised, double-blind study at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine involved 27 participants who experienced at least two moderate-to-severe hot flashes daily.
The group included 10 breast cancer patients, 12 prostate cancer patients and five postmenopausal women.
After two weeks of baseline recordings, participants used either the active cooling device or a non-cooling wristband for two weeks, then crossed over to the alternative device for an additional two weeks.
Hot flash frequency and severity were logged in diaries throughout.
Michael F. Holick, professor of medicine, pharmacology, physiology and biophysics at the school, said current treatments are limited.
Holick said: “Most non-hormonal pharmaceutical options for managing hot flashes are limited by significant side effects and hormone replacement therapy is not appropriate for breast and prostate cancer patients who were on, or who have been treated with, hormone deprivation therapy.
“This creates an urgent need for safe, effective, non-pharmaceutical interventions suitable for diverse patient populations experiencing debilitating VMS.”
VMS include hot flashes and night sweats, and are linked to sleep problems, cognitive difficulties, fatigue, increased pain and lower quality of life.
Holick said the wrist’s neurological sensitivity makes it an effective site for targeted cooling.
The device was developed using approaches applied in conditions such as motion sickness, Parkinson’s disease, Tourette’s syndrome and hand tremors.
He believes the cooling device signals the hypothalamus – the part of the brain that regulates body temperature – by triggering cooling neuron pathways.
This makes the body think it is cooling rapidly, shutting down the overheating signals that cause blood vessel dilation and sweating.
Holick noted that hot flashes affect more than comfort, influencing quality of life, decisions about cancer treatment and adding to wider economic and social costs.
Women with ADHD are nearly twice as likely to experience perimenopause symptoms compared with women without ADHD, new research has revealed.
The study reported 54 per cent of women with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder had perimenopausal symptoms, compared with 30 per cent without the condition.
Among perimenopausal women with ADHD, 59 per cent reported psychological symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, irritability and fatigue.
Physical symptoms, including hot flushes, headaches or palpitations (a rapid or irregular heartbeat), occurred in 30 per cent with ADHD versus 14 per cent without.
Published in 2025, the research also found symptoms tended to start earlier for women with ADHD, peaking around ages 35 to 39, while those without ADHD reported their most severe symptoms around age 45.
The study suggests two explanations for the increased burden among women with ADHD.
Firstly, anxiety and lower socio-economic status are known risk factors for perimenopausal symptoms; both are more common among women with ADHD and chronic stress may amplify risk.
Secondly, oestrogen helps modulate ADHD symptoms.
Women with ADHD are at higher risk of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and other cycle-related issues because ADHD symptoms can intensify when oestrogen levels fall.
During perimenopause, oestrogen naturally declines, so women with ADHD may experience both typical perimenopausal symptoms and a worsening of ADHD symptoms at the same time.
The research also found a higher prevalence of lifetime post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among women with ADHD.
When this factor was accounted for, women with ADHD who did not have PTSD still faced increased risks, though both risk and symptom intensity were reduced.
These findings suggest that interventions which reduce chronic stress and inflammatory responses could help women with ADHD navigate perimenopause more effectively.
Midi Health has closed a US$100m Series D, lifting the menopause care provider to a valuation above US$1bn and achieving unicorn status.
The company, originally focused on virtual menopause care, says it will expand to what it calls lifelong care, adding cardiology, obesity management, autoimmune survivorship and longevity services.
Joanna Strober is co-founder and chief executive officer of Midi Health.
She said: “This is validation for the movement we’re leading.
“Women’s health has been treated like an afterthought for too long.”
Midi reports it now sees more than 25,000 patients per week and has insurance coverage reaching 45 million women nationwide.
To support scale, the firm is rolling out a proprietary artificial intelligence engine intended to slot into clinical workflows.
It analyses patient charts before virtual visits to help personalise care, automates triage and documentation, and reviews data on midlife women to refine protocols.
The company has also strengthened its leadership. Jason Wheeler, formerly in senior finance roles at Tesla and Google, has been appointed chief financial officer. He joins chief marketing officer Melissa Waters, previously at Meta and Lyft, and chief commercial officer Matt Cook.
Each year, about two million women in the US enter menopause.
Untreated symptoms are estimated to cost the economy US$25bn annually.
IBSA UK has introduced Hyaluxelle, a non-hormonal menopause treatment for vulvo-vaginal atrophy, easing vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.
Hyaluxelle is given as deep intradermal injections to the vulvar vestibule, the area at the vaginal opening, in two sessions one month apart, followed by clinical reassessment.
IBSA UK is the UK subsidiary of Swiss pharmaceutical company IBSA.
Vulvo-vaginal atrophy is a key feature of genitourinary syndrome of menopause, a long-term condition caused by low oestrogen that affects genital, urinary and sexual health.
At least half of post-menopausal women are affected, yet many do not seek help, often assuming symptoms are part of ageing.
The condition stems from thinning and drying of vaginal and vulval tissues linked to low oestrogen, leading to symptoms such as dryness, discomfort, altered pH and pain during intercourse.
Hyaluxelle combines high and low molecular weight hyaluronic acid, a moisture-retaining substance found naturally in the body.
The company says this creates a lower-viscosity injection at what it describes as the highest concentration available in the UK, supporting tissue hydration, firmness and elasticity.
The formulation is said to rehydrate the vulvar vestibule and create conditions for restoring tissue structure through collagen and elastin production.
Clinical studies indicate Hyaluxelle improves several vulvo-vaginal symptoms, including reductions in discomfort and pain during intercourse.
Studies also report gains in sexual function domains and a positive trend in some aspects of health-related quality of life.
Histological analyses suggest increased epithelial thickness, enhanced tissue regeneration and reduced inflammatory infiltration after the procedure. In studies, the treatment was well tolerated with no reported major complications.
Joanna, a 59-year-old woman living with severe symptoms, described the personal impact of delayed diagnosis.
She said: “I lived for years with pain, UTIs, cystitis and a loss of sensation, but every visit to my GP, even a female GP, was treated as a bladder issue.
“Nobody suggested it might be linked to the menopause or joined the dots, and none of the treatments I was given helped. Without the right information or support, I became desperate for answers.
“The symptoms affected everything, what I wore, how I exercised, how I slept, but the hardest part was the impact on intimacy with my husband.
“I withdrew from our relationship because I was scared sex would hurt, and the loss of closeness was devastating, and I no longer felt like myself.
“Women deserve clear explanations and real options when their symptoms are not getting better.”
IBSA says Hyaluxelle offers clinicians an option for women whose symptoms persist despite first-line therapies, or for those who cannot receive or choose not to receive hormonal treatments.
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