Menopause
Menopause made easier: how femtech can transform symptom management
By Kristin Mallon, co-founder and CEO at FemGevity
Recognising the urgent need for accurate information and personalised support, women can harness the power of technology to navigate the complex landscape of menopause, says Kristin Mallon.
In February of this year, the New York Times Magazine published an eye-opening article titled “Menopause, Hot Flashes, and Hormone Therapy: The Truth Behind the Misleading Information” shedding light on the shocking extent of misinformation that had been disseminated regarding menopause and its treatment options.
This misinformation has left women struggling and enduring unnecessary suffering for the past two decades.
A recent study conducted by the Mayo Clinic, published earlier this year, revealed that this impact extends beyond individual women, permeating into the workforce and imposing a substantial cost on society.
The study estimated that the United States alone incurs a staggering loss of US$1.8b each year due to the productivity decline caused by these misperceptions surrounding menopause.
The primary source of this misleading information can be traced back to a single study in 2002 that erroneously concluded hormone therapy provided little to no long-term longevity benefits for women and posed significant health risks, particularly in relation to breast cancer.
The article further expounds on the need for women to find tailored menopause healthcare solutions.
Recognising the urgent need for accurate information and personalised support, women can harness the power of technology to navigate the complex landscape of menopause.
By debunking misconceptions and breaking through the barriers created by misleading assumptions, women are able to reclaim control over their wellbeing during this transformative phase of life.
Menopause is an inevitable phase in a woman’s life, marking the conclusion of her reproductive years. It is a profound and transformative period that encompasses a range of symptoms impacting women on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.
Menopause exerts its influence on various total body systems, from alterations in skin condition to sleep patterns, cognitive function, cholesterol levels, and even mental wellbeing.
Astonishingly, it frequently introduces new experiences such as anxiety, rage, or depression, highlighting the intersection between menopause and mental health. In the realm of menopause, women often find themselves caught off guard by the variety of symptoms found during this time.
Women often encounter significant challenges when it comes to finding appropriate care for their menopause symptoms.
The current healthcare system lacks the necessary specialisation in menopause, leaving women to navigate a fragmented landscape of specialists who may not possess the expertise to address their unique needed.
Obstetrician-gynecologists (OB/GYNs), while skilled in childbirth and performing gynecological surgeries, may not have the bandwidth to specialise in the complexities of menopause.
Internists are like the Renaissance people of medicine, possessing broad knowledge across various medical disciplines, but often don’t dedicate themselves to the intricacies of menopause.
Women may opt to seek out specialists such as endocrinologists. However, access and long wait times can pose significant challenges.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for endocrinologists to lack specialisation in menopause, as their focus tends to revolve around conditions like diabetes or metabolic disorders. As a result, women may encounter difficulties in finding an endocrinologist who can provide expertise targeted specifically toward the complexities of menopause.
Consequently, it is not surprising that women are often left shouldering the burden of finding appropriate care that addresses the unique challenges of menopause.
It cannot be emphasised enough how crucial it is to seek the expertise of a menopause specialist. These professionals are equipped with a profound understanding of menopause, backed by the latest research and insights into treatment options.
With their specialised knowledge, they are able to craft individualised treatment plans, fostering comprehensive care and enhancing the quality of life throughout the menopausal journey.
Menopause specialists can guide women in making informed decisions about HRT, non-hormonal alternatives, lifestyle modifications, and complementary therapies. They address individual concerns, such as bone health, heart health, and emotional wellbeing.
In today’s digital age, technology can play a significant role in helping women find the right menopause specialist and take charge of their health.
One such tool is the use of dedicated telemedicine platforms which can serve as a valuable resource for women seeking specialized care.
These services provide a platform where women can access a directory of menopause specialists, read reviews from other patients, and even schedule appointments conveniently.
By leveraging technology, women can take an active role in finding the right specialist, avoid lengthy wait times, and get care even if they live far away from a big city with more resources.
Women deserve the resources and support necessary to navigate menopause with confidence and control.
It is crucial for women to educate themselves about menopause symptoms and actively seek the guidance of a menopause specialist. It is important to recognise that women should not be held responsible for the confusion and lack of specialised care they often encounter.
By proactively seeking out menopause specialists, women can access the expertise and guidance required to effectively manage their menopause symptoms.
Kristin Mallon is an expert in menopause and feminine longevity and a board-certified nurse midwife. She is the co-founder and CEO of the telemedicine platform FemGevity.
Abdominal obesity may lead to worse menopause symptoms, including forgetfulness, irritability and night sweats, a new study suggests.
The findings point to a possible link between fat stored around the waist and more severe midlife symptoms.
Researchers said waist-to-height ratio could help identify women who may benefit from more targeted support.
Dr Monica Christmas is associate medical director for The Menopause Society.
Christmas said: “Unintended weight gain during the menopause transition, especially in the midsection, is one of the most commonly reported complaints, with the most significant gains experienced in the years leading up to the final menstrual period and a couple of years after.
“This not only affects self-image but also imposes negative health risks and, as the study highlights, is associated with higher prevalence and severity of menopause symptoms.”
The study used data from more than 1,100 women who took part in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation.
Abdominal obesity is a build-up of fat around the waist. It often includes visceral fat, which is deep, active fat surrounding internal organs.
This type of fat releases inflammatory proteins and toxic fatty acids that can contribute to insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and a higher risk of some cancers.
Insulin resistance means the body does not respond properly to insulin, the hormone that helps control blood sugar.
The Menopause Society said abdominal obesity is estimated to affect more than 60 per cent of menopausal women.
As oestrogen levels fall during menopause, women tend to store more fat around the waist rather than the hips, even if their overall weight does not change.
The researchers noted that obesity patterns and menopause symptom burden can vary by region, but research into the effect of abdominal obesity on these symptoms remains limited.
They also said earlier studies have mainly looked at single symptoms, rather than how symptoms connect with each other.
In this study, researchers used network analysis, a method that looks at how symptoms are linked, to compare symptom patterns in women with and without abdominal obesity.
They identified abdominal obesity using waist-to-height ratios, which compare waist size with height and can be used as a simple measure of health risk linked to body fat around the middle.
The researchers concluded that women with abdominal obesity had both a higher prevalence and greater severity of a range of symptoms, as well as a distinct symptom network structure.
In particular, women with abdominal obesity reported a higher prevalence and greater severity of dizziness, hot flashes and night sweats than women without abdominal obesity.
Sleep disturbances and palpitations were also reported more often in women with abdominal obesity. Palpitations are feelings of a fast, fluttering or pounding heartbeat.
The researchers said assessment of abdominal obesity using waist-to-height ratios may help stratify women who are likely to benefit from targeted, network-based interventions rather than isolated symptom management.
Christmas said: “Educating women early about healthy lifestyle interventions to prevent midlife weight gain is key to improving mental and physical well-being during a tumultuous time frame.”
Perimenopause may offer a key window to spot heart disease risk earlier, with women in the transition twice as likely to have low heart health scores, new research suggests.
The findings suggest the transition to menopause could be an important time to reassess risk and prompt lifestyle changes.
Garima Arora is senior author of the study and professor of medicine in the division of cardiovascular disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Arora said: “Mid-life women should think of the perimenopausal period as a ‘window of opportunity.’
They should be proactive and not wait until they reach menopause to start checking their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
“Women should talk with their health care team about their reproductive status and any changes they are experiencing. It may be the perfect time to get a baseline for their heart health.”
The analysis included 9,248 women aged 18 to 80 who took part in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2007 and 2020.
Researchers used Life’s Essential 8, a heart health score developed by the American Heart Association. It measures diet, physical activity, tobacco use, sleep, blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight and blood sugar on a 100-point scale.
Median scores fell as women moved through reproductive stages, from 73.3 out of 100 in premenopausal women to 69.1 in perimenopausal women and 63.9 in postmenopausal women.
Among the individual Life’s Essential 8 measures, diet consistently had the lowest scores and continued to decline across all reproductive stages.
After accounting for age, perimenopausal women were twice as likely to have a low overall score as premenopausal women.
They were also 76 per cent more likely to have a low cholesterol score and 83 per cent more likely to have a low blood sugar score.
The researchers said fluctuations in oestrogen levels during perimenopause may contribute to lower cardiovascular health because they may affect cholesterol, insulin resistance, blood pressure and weight management.
Insulin resistance means the body does not respond properly to insulin, the hormone that helps control blood sugar.
Sleep duration scores remained high across all reproductive stages, despite perimenopausal women reporting difficulty sleeping, suggesting sleep quality may be more affected than sleep length.
Amrita Nayak, lead author of the study and research fellow in the division of cardiovascular disease at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said the findings highlight a point where risk may begin to rise.
She said: “Our analysis highlights that perimenopause, women’s reproductive transition period to menopause, is the critical time when the increase in cardiovascular risk seems magnified.
“When we compared women’s LE8 scores to the premenopausal baseline, the perimenopausal group was the first to show a significant jump in the odds of having low heart health.”
Arora added that nutrition could be an important area for early intervention.
“Nutrition can be a central factor for early and proactive intervention.
“Focusing on heart-healthy habits early, especially getting regular exercise and following a healthy eating plan like the DASH diet with a focus on lowering salt can help improve cardiovascular health for perimenopausal women in the years to come.”
Stacey E. Rosen, volunteer president of the American Heart Association, who was not involved in the study, said the findings underline the need to consider women-specific risk factors across life stages.
“This research highlights yet another aspect of the unique factors that increase a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease throughout the stages of her lifespan.
“Significant health changes during pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause make it particularly important to pay close attention to increases in health risk factors during those times.
“I encourage women to talk with their primary care and specialty health care teams to learn about early detection and modification of traditional and ‘female-specific’ risk factors.
“Women can take proven steps to improve their cardiovascular health at all ages.”
The researchers said the next step is to follow women over several years to track hormone levels and heart health, which may help clarify the long-term impact of perimenopause and how lifestyle changes could reduce risk.
Osteoporosis may raise the risk of death in postmenopausal women by up to 47 per cent, a new study suggests.
The findings point to an inverse relationship between femoral bone mineral density and mortality risk, especially within certain ranges.
Femoral bone mineral density is the amount of mineral in the thigh bone, which is often measured to assess bone strength and osteoporosis risk.
Dr Monica Christmas is associate medical director for The Menopause Society.
She said: “Osteoporosis often remains a silent threat after menopause, despite its profound effect on women’s lives—from loss of height, poor balance, and reduced mobility to disfigurement, pain, and even premature death.
“Early screening and preventive measures, including a calcium-rich diet (preferably from food sources), regular weight-bearing exercise, and hormone therapy when appropriate, can significantly improve bone health and reduce risks not only of fractures but also cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and dementia.
“It’s time we bring this conversation to the forefront.”
In the study involving nearly 3,000 postmenopausal women, bone mineral density at four femoral sites was assessed using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, a scan commonly used to measure bone strength and fracture risk.
The analysis found that mortality risk was significantly higher when femoral bone mineral density reached the osteoporotic threshold or when osteoporotic fractures were present.
After full adjustment, osteoporosis was associated with a 47 per cent increased risk of mortality.
A stronger inverse association between increased bone mineral density and mortality risk was seen within specific ranges, suggesting bone mineral density could serve as a prognostic marker of wider health.
The relationship appeared especially notable within the range of 0.46 to 0.71 g/cm² for total femur bone mineral density.
Previous research has shown that postmenopausal women face a significantly higher risk of death within one year of hip or vertebral fractures.
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