Menopause
Study suggests best time for battling symptoms is during perimenopause
A study has shown that lifestyle interventions during menopause are more valuable when applied during peri-menopause – so how can femtech help?
Women going through menopause may experience symptoms such as weight gain, adverse changes in body composition, hot flashes and an increased risk of chronic disease such as osteoporosis.
While a lot of healthcare focus remains on lessening the symptoms of menopause, a lot of these changes begin during perimenopause. Studies have shown that menopause can cause weight gain as well as a redistribution of fat towards the abdomen. Perimenopause has been highlighted as a key transition point for these changes.
In this study, researchers evaluated women at all stages of menopause including premenopause, perimenopause and postmenopause to understand changes in resting and exercise metabolism in conjunction with body composition. They aimed to identify the relationship between body composition and lifestyle factors such as dietary habits, physical activity and sleep.
The results showed that perimenopause may be the best window for lifestyle intervention because this group experienced elevated percentages of fat, lower lean body mass and a shift towards central obesity. The greatest changes were observed between the premenopause and perimenopause periods indicating that the transition stimulates the changes that are later experienced in menopause.
The researchers noted that menopausal women should engage in activities that help to maintain lean mass, such as resistance exercise as well as maintain or increase oxidative capacity.
How can femtech help with menopause?
Menopause is a key area of research and development for femtech developers. It’s also a huge market of opportunity as the global menopause market was valued at USD$14.7 billion in 2020 with an expected rise to 5.7 per cent to reach $22.7 billion in 2028.
Menopause is viewed more as a journey within femtech with many apps or platforms focusing on each stage of the transition. It also offers a more holistic approach to symptom management that can be personalised to each woman’s experience through data collection. The more data you input, the better your recommendations on lifestyle changes become. This personalised tailored approach can be lost through interaction with GPs who often don’t have time to consider all approaches other than hormone treatments. Tech can often be complimentary alongside doctor recommendations to increase the options on offer.
Studies such as this show that early intervention when it comes to symptoms may help to slow the severity by the time women get to menopause. But, with a distinct lack of education around perimenopause or menopause itself, this may be the biggest task for femtech companies to tackle.
It is estimated that by 2025, there will be over 1 billion women experiencing menopause in the world. This is estimated to be 12 per cent of the entire world population of 8 billion.
As both Generation X and Y approach menopausal ages, it creates another opportunity for tech. This is the first real wave of tech-savvy patients who have grown accustomed to the digitalisation of health. They think nothing of using apps, platforms or telemedicine because it’s always been there as an option only to be accelerated during the pandemic.
All the signs point to easy adoption for those experiencing early menopause signs such as weight gain or sleep issues. However, it is going to be an uphill battle to get the education out there to women about the prospect of menopause symptom management in an environment where most do not know perimenopause happens.
While it’s not clear how femtech will bridge the gap between education, awareness and getting more users on platforms – it is clear there is a desperate need for solutions.
Read more: NatWest data shows women overtaking men for the first time in start-up numbers
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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