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UK train operator hosts session to support workers affected by menopause
The event is part of the train operator’s commitment to create an inclusive workforce
The UK train operator Avanti West Coast has hosted its first drop-in session to support workers affected by menopause.
The drop-in follows the introduction of the company’s menopause guidance, a resource aiming to help employees better understand the subject.
Held at Preston station, the session was aimed at women experiencing menopause symptoms, as well anyone wanting to learn more about their relative or friend who may be going through the menopause.
The idea came from customer service assistant, Hellen Briscoe, who wanted to raise awareness of menopause in the workplace and reduce the taboo around the topic.
After being diagnosed with perimenopause at the age of 37, Hellen, now 39, found being open about her experience has helped her deal with the symptoms and emotions she was going through.
Since joining Avanti West Coast’s Menopause for thought group – a forum for people to discuss how the company could support employees during menopause – the 39-year-old found that colleagues affected had struggled silently.
Spurred on by these conversations, she decided to organise a drop-in to encourage women to talk and share their experiences with one another.
“Talking about menopause openly and trying to support other women has helped me,” Hellen explained.
“I think so many of us need that help and support without realising it. Women need to know they’re not alone.”
To provide further advice for those attending, Hellen reached out to well-known media personalities, including Andrea McLean, who have shared their stories to ask for materials.
“I’ve gained a lot of helpful advice and a better understanding of the menopause by following celebrities, doctors and specialists on social media, so I felt heard and elated by their positive response.
“Andrea sent me a lovely note which made me realise just why I wanted to do this in the first place”, she added.
The event, part of the train operator’s commitment to create an inclusive workforce, brought together employees from across the business.
“Those who came to the drop-in stayed a while, chatted to people they didn’t know, offered their advice, and listened to others,” said Hellen.
“Some came on their days off, which proves some women need this. Not a lot is known by the younger generation, so the event was not only for us now, but for those in the future.
“I hope everyone who attended took away some comfort in knowing they can talk to me anytime, as well as giving them a much better understanding of the menopause and how we can all have our own journeys but together we can get through it more easily.”
She added: “We need to talk about menopause. For some reason it has been a taboo subject. This baffles me, as all women will go through it – some will sail through it, others will struggle but either way we all need to be aware of what the menopause is and what to look out for.
“I am eager to gain a community in the workplace, where we feel listened to, understood, and not embarrassed about menopause – not just in the workplace but our everyday life.”
The positive response to the drop-in has inspired Hellen, who is doing a menopause awareness course, to deliver similar events at other locations along the route.
Transdermal HRT best protects bone density in women with functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea, a condition that stops periods, a review of trials has found.
The meta-analysis pooled randomised clinical trials involving 692 participants and found transdermal hormone replacement therapy and teriparatide increased bone mineral density by between 2 and 13 per cent.
Functional hypothalamic amenorrhoea can follow anorexia or intense exercise. Bone mineral density measures bone strength and the amount of mineral in bone.
Around half of women with the condition have low bone mineral density, compared with about 1 per cent of healthy women, and their fracture risk is up to seven times higher.
The research was conducted by scientists at Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.
Professor Alexander Comninos, senior author of the study and consultant endocrinologist at the trust, said: “Bone density is lost very rapidly in FHA and so addressing bone health early is very important to reduce the lifelong risk of fractures.
“Our study provides much needed comparisons of all the available treatments from all available studies.
“Clearly the best treatment is to restore normal menstrual cycles and therefore oestrogen levels through various psychological, nutritional or exercise interventions – but that is not always possible.
“The foundation for bone health is good calcium and vitamin D intake (through diet and/or supplements) but we have additional treatments that are more effective.”
When FHA is diagnosed, clinicians first try to restore periods through lifestyle measures, including psychological and dietary support, but these can fail. Guidelines then recommend giving oestrogen, though the best form was unclear.
The team reviewed all prior randomised trials comparing therapies, including oral and transdermal oestrogen, and also assessed teriparatide, a prescription bone-building drug used for severe osteoporosis.
They found no significant benefit for oral contraceptive pills or oral hormone therapy.
A recent UK audit reported that about a quarter of women with anorexia-related FHA are prescribed the oral contraceptive pill for bone loss; the study suggests using transdermal therapy instead.
Comninos said: “Our goal is simple: to help women receive the right treatment sooner and to protect their bone health in the long-term.
“We hope this study provides clinicians with better evidence to choose transdermal oestrogen when prescribing oestrogen and so inform future practice guidelines.
“Right now, millions of women with FHA may not be receiving the best treatments for their bone health.”
An AI tool cut interval breast cancers by 12 per cent in a Swedish screening trial of more than 105,000 women.
The study also found 27 per cent fewer aggressive breast cancers detected at screening when AI was used.
Interval cancers are cancers found between routine screening appointments because they were missed at the original scan. They are often more dangerous and linked to higher death rates than cancers found at screening.
The MASAI trial is described as the first large randomised study to test whether AI can improve mammography screening, which uses low-dose X-rays to examine breast tissue for signs of cancer.
The AI tool, called Transpara Detection and developed by ScreenPoint Medical, supported radiologists in analysing mammography images.
Earlier results from the same trial showed that Transpara Detection increased cancers found by 29 per cent and reduced radiologist workload by 44 per cent compared with standard double-reading, where two radiologists independently review each scan.
The latest findings indicate higher accuracy with AI support. Sensitivity, the ability to detect cancer, was 6.7 percentage points higher in the AI group while specificity, the ability to rule out healthy cases, was maintained. Results were similar across age groups and breast density levels.
Women screened with AI had 16 per cent fewer invasive interval cancers and 21 per cent fewer large interval cancers than those in the standard screening group.
The system also helps doctors assess risk more precisely by subdividing suspicious findings into BI-RADS 4 categories A, B and C. BI-RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) is a standardised scale that guides whether a patient needs closer monitoring, further tests or treatment.
Ageing anxiety may accelerate biological ageing in women, with fears about worsening health linked to faster epigenetic ageing, according to new research.
The study found that greater anxiety about growing old was associated with accelerated epigenetic ageing, as measured by the DunedinPACE clock, based on biological markers in blood samples.
Epigenetic changes are shifts in how genes are switched on or off without altering DNA itself, which can influence how the body ages and functions.
“Our research suggests that subjective experiences may be driving objective measures of ageing,” said Mariana Rodrigues, a PhD student and the first author of the study.
“Ageing-related anxiety is not merely a psychological concern, but may leave a mark on the body with real health consequences.”
Researchers analysed data from 726 women in the Midlife in the US study.
Participants were asked how much they worried about becoming less attractive with age, having more health issues and being too old to have children.
Blood samples were used to assess ageing with two epigenetic clocks: DunedinPACE, which estimates the pace of biological ageing, and GrimAge2, which estimates cumulative biological damage.
The study was conducted by researchers at NYU School of Global Public Health.
Worrying about declining health showed the strongest links with epigenetic ageing, while anxiety about attractiveness and fertility was not significantly associated with biological markers.
The authors suggest health worries are more common and persist over time, whereas concerns about appearance and reproduction may fade with age.
“Women in midlife may also be multiple in roles, including caring for their ageing parents,” Rodrigues said.
“As they see older family members grow older and become sick, they may worry about whether the same thing will happen to them.”
The authors caution that the study offers a snapshot in time and other factors may influence these biological changes.
When analyses were adjusted for health behaviours such as smoking and alcohol use, the link between ageing anxiety and epigenetic ageing decreased and was no longer significant.
“Our research identifies ageing anxiety as a measurable and modifiable psychological determinant that seems to be shaping ageing biology,” said Adolfo Cuevas, associate professor of social and behavioural sciences and the study’s senior author.
They call for more research to clarify how this anxiety influences ageing over time, to guide support for those experiencing ageing anxiety.
“Ageing is a universal experience.” Rodrigues said.
“We need to start a discourse about how we as a society, through our norms, structural factors and interpersonal relationships, address the challenges of ageing.”
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