Showing posts sorted by relevance for query MENOPAUSE. Sort by date Show all posts

Friday, September 20, 2024

WOMENS HEALTH

The Menopause Society launches Making Menopause Work™ Initiative

THIS IS A UNION ISSUE

Unique educational and designation initiative based on new science-based Consensus Recommendations to help employers retain workers and recoup $1.8 billion in lost workdays by supporting menopausal women in the workplace

The Menopause Society

CHICAGO (Sept 13, 2024)—Menopause is a natural life transition occurring when many women are at the “top of their game.” Unsupported menopause symptoms drive up employer healthcare costs and cause roughly $1.8 billion in missed workdays. To help employers retain these valued workers and build cultures of well-being, The Menopause Society launched Making Menopause Work™ based on new science-based Consensus Recommendations. The Recommendations are published online in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

“More employers—from large corporations to small organizations—are supporting workers during menopause,” Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of The Menopause Society and director of the Mayo Clinic Center for Women’s Health, said today at The Menopause Society’s Annual Meeting in Chicago.

“But more menopause-supportive workplaces are urgently needed,” Faubion continued. “Women ages 50 and older are the fastest-growing demographic group, making essential contributions to society, families, communities, and the paid and unpaid workforces. This is a moment of tremendous opportunity.”

The Menopause Society builds on its 35-year, science-based track record with the creation of Making Menopause Work. The program—which includes a free Employer Guide, an assessment, planning tools, and other resources, with an employer designation program to come—incorporates recommendations based on new scientific consensus recommendations from a multidisciplinary panel of leading medical, legal, and human resource experts.

“Employers need to take menopause symptoms seriously and also know that they’re manageable and temporary,” said Jill K. Bigler, labor attorney at Epstein Becker Green and a member of the advisory panel for the Consensus Recommendations. “Making Menopause Work is a smart, strategic move for employers. It safeguards workers’ opportunities for leadership and financial security. It retains workers and productivity. And it builds a multigenerational workplace where midlife employees hold institutional knowledge, bring calm under stress, and make wise decisions.”

Understanding menopause and creating menopause-responsive workplaces

Menopause, the end of menstrual periods, usually occurs between ages 45 and 55; although perimenopause can start as early as age 35. Symptoms are different for each person. For some, periods become irregular and then stop. Others may experience hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, memory problems, mood disturbances, vaginal dryness, or weight gain.

The Society’s Consensus Recommendations cite a survey by the Society for Women’s Health Research showing that two out of five people had considered looking for or had found a new job because of menopause symptoms. Not only do employers risk losing talent and revenues when they ignore menopause, they also face greater costs for healthcare as well as the cost of replacing and training workers.

Creating a supportive workplace culture is the first step in turning these numbers around. The Employer Guide supports employers, managers, and supervisors to do this, including opening conversations for those who want it, understanding how to hear and support people’s needs, and recognizing menopause as a normal part of life for half the population.

From there, the Employer Guide helps employers update policies, benefits, and environments, including offering the following:

Health insurance plans that include adequate and affordable coverage for menopause-related care
Access to adequate bathrooms and flexible breaks to use them—vital for people with heavy or unpredictable bleeding
Improved ventilation and updated uniforms with breathable, flexible fabrics—a game changer for people experiencing hot flashes
Quiet work environments and flexible deadlines, which improve focus for people experiencing insomnia, anxiety, or brain fog
Peer support networks, employee resource groups and employee assistance programs, which can help people know they’re not going through menopause alone

Employers or employees interested in learning more about this important initiative should visit menopause.org/workplace.

The Menopause Society (formerly The North American Menopause Society) is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering health care professionals to improve the health of women during the menopause transition and beyond. Employers who support Making Menopause Work become part of a movement that includes more than 2,000 health care professionals who have earned The Menopause Society’s Certified Practitioner (MSCP) credential, along with tens of thousands of people who rely on The Menopause Guidebook, the most complete consumer menopause resource available.

Not in the mood for sex after menopause?

A new study suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy could be key in improving sexual function in postmenopausal women

The Menopause Society

CLEVELAND, Ohio (Sept 10, 2024)—Many women report a decline in sexual function, including desire, when transitioning through menopause. Such problems can contribute to poor self-image and negatively affect physical and emotional well-being. A new study suggests that cognitive behavioral therapy may be a safe and effective treatment for mitigating sexual concerns during this period. Results of the study will be presented at the 2024 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Chicago September 10-14.

Partially due to declining estrogen levels, 68% to 87% of peri- and postmenopausal women express sexual concerns. Despite such high prevalence and negative impacts, treatment options–particularly nonpharmacological ones–are quite limited. In response, researchers initiated a small study to evaluate the efficacy of a four-session individual cognitive behavioral therapy protocol for improving sexual functioning (eg, desire, arousal, pain, satisfaction). Secondary objectives included assessing body image, relationship satisfaction, menopause symptoms (such as hot flashes), depression, and anxiety during peri- and postmenopause.

The researchers found that participants in this study experienced a significant improvement in multiple areas of sexual functioning, body image and couple satisfaction, as well as a significant decrease in menopause symptoms, depression, and anxiety, and self-reported overall health. In addition, 100% of participants indicated they were very satisfied with the treatment and that it helped them cope with their symptoms more effectively.

“To our knowledge, this is the first study that has examined the efficacy of a cognitive behavioral therapy protocol specifically aimed to improve sexual concerns experienced during peri- and postmenopause,” says Dr. Sheryl Green, lead study author from McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. “Results suggest that this type of therapy leads to significant improvements across several important sexual concern domains, and we hope this study will provide the basis for larger randomized clinical trials in the future.”

More detailed results will be discussed at the 2024 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society as part of the Top Scoring Abstract Session presentation titled “Cognitive behavioral therapy for sexual concerns during peri- and postmenopause, a clinical trial.”

“This study is important to women experiencing sexual health related issues and provides their healthcare professionals with another nonpharmacologic treatment option to discuss with their patients,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

Both Drs. Green and Faubion are available for interviews prior to the Annual Meeting.

For more information about menopause and healthy aging, visit the newly redesigned www.menopause.org.

The Menopause Society (formerly The North American Menopause Society) is dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals and providing them with the tools and resources to improve the health of women during the menopause transition and beyond. As the leading authority on menopause since 1989, the nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization serves as the independent, evidence-based resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, the media, and the public and leads the conversation about improving women’s health and healthcare experiences. To learn more, visit menopause.org.

Wednesday, August 09, 2023

New survey confirms need for more menopause education in residency programs

Lack of standardized menopause curriculum and access to menopause-specific educational materials leaves many healthcare professionals ill-equipped to manage needs of record numbers of menopausal women

Peer-Reviewed Publication

THE MENOPAUSE SOCIETY

CLEVELAND, Ohio (August 9, 2023)—Despite the fact that nearly 90 million women in the United States are projected to be postmenopausal by 2060, menopause remains low on the priority list of many residency programs. A new survey reveals the lack of a standardized menopause curriculum and limited access to menopause educational resources for residents. Results of the survey are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Because women today are living longer, it is not surprising that there are a record number of postmenopausal women. And, that number is only expected to grow, with women spending roughly onethird of their lifetimes in menopause. Despite the increased demand for menopause care and education, many obstetrics and gynecology trainees graduate from their residency programs with gaps in their education regarding the management of menopause symptoms and related conditions.

When the last needs assessment was published for menopause education in 2013, it confirmed that most residents felt that they had limited knowledge and needed to learn more about the various areas of menopause medicine, including hormone therapy and bone health and related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome. At the time, only 20.8% of residents stated that their program had a formal menopause curriculum. Based on the results of this newest survey, it appears that the situation has not improved much, with only 31.3% of the obstetrics and gynecology residency program directors who responded reporting they had any type of menopause curriculum as part of their residents’ training. Nearly 20% claimed they had a curriculum confined to a rotation block.

Of the programs with a menopause curriculum, 96.8% used lectures and 77.4% used assigned readings. All programs with a menopause curriculum included five or fewer menopause lectures per year for trainees, with 71.0% reporting two or fewer lectures per year. Of the respondents, 83.8% agreed or strongly agreed that their program needs more menopause educational resources.

Based on the results, researchers concluded that, nationally, most obstetrics and gynecology training programs lack the curriculum necessary to effectively prepare residents to manage menopausal women. Moreover, there is a lack of consistency in the menopause curriculums that do exist such that there is no true level of standardized care.

Survey results are published in the article “Needs assessment of menopause education in United States obstetrics and gynecology residency training programs.”

“This study highlights the ongoing problem of the lack of education of medical trainees in menopause management. An easily accessible, standardized menopause curriculum would benefit trainees across multiple residency training programs, including obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, and family medicine, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that all women have access to competent menopause care,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society.

For more information about menopause and healthy aging, visit www.menopause.org.

JOURNAL

Menopause

DOI

10.1097/GME.0000000000002234

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

People

ARTICLE TITLE

Needs assessment of menopause education in United States obstetrics and gynecology residency training programs

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

9-Aug-2023

Wednesday, October 08, 2025

Women with surgical menopause may exit workforce earlier, but hormone therapy could help

New study suggests that hormone therapy within the early postmenopause years may help women with early or surgical menopause remain in the workforce longer

The Menopause Society

CLEVELAND, Ohio (October 8, 2025)—Menopause before the age of 45 (known as early menopause) is associated with an increased risk of an array of serious diseases, including cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. A new study suggests that it may also force women out of the workforce prematurely, although carefully timed hormone therapy may help women remain employed. Results of the study are published online today in Menopause, the journal of The Menopause Society.

Early menopause, whether natural or surgical (removal of both ovaries), has already been considered a risk factor for multiple diseases. Women with early menopause are also at higher risk of experiencing more frequent, severe, and prolonged hot flashes and night sweats, as well as depressive symptoms. Premature morbidity and menopause symptoms can be even more pronounced in women who undergo early surgical menopause, which results in the sudden cessation of ovarian function.

Despite extensive research on the health consequences of early menopause, little is known about how it affects other aspects of women’s lives, including their ability to maintain and build their careers. A new study involving nearly 1,400 women who had undergone natural menopause, premenopause bilateral oophorectomy, or hysterectomy is one of the first known studies to not only investigate the effect of early and surgical menopause on work function but also the effect of hormone therapy as a mediator.

The researchers used sequence analysis of employment histories to define three different 10-year employment trajectories. Regression analysis was then used to assess associations between timing and type of menopause on employment. Women with early menopause were found to have less flexible working arrangements during this sensitive period. However, early natural menopause did not appear to make a woman more likely to exit the labor market earlier than women with later menopause.

Surgical menopause, in contrast, was found to be associated with an increased risk of labor market exit, especially for women aged 45 years or older at the time of surgery. Hormone therapy was shown to help reduce the risk of labor-market exit for women with both early natural menopause and surgical menopause. Based on the results, the researchers advocate for workplace policies that consider women’s diverse menopause experiences.

Study results are published in the article “The associations of early and surgical menopause with 10-year employment trajectories bracketing final menstruation or surgery.”

“This study found that early natural menopause and surgical menopause were linked with women’s employment trajectories and further suggests that hormone therapy within the early postmenopause years may help women remain in the workforce,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director for The Menopause Society. “These findings add to the accumulating evidence that menopause-related symptoms can adversely affect women in the workplace and that targeted interventions may minimize the negative effect on employment.”

For more information about menopause and healthy aging, visit www.menopause.org.

The Menopause Society is dedicated to empowering healthcare professionals and providing them with the tools and resources to improve the health of women during the menopause transition and beyond. As the leading authority on menopause since 1989, the nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization serves as the independent, evidence-based resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, the media, and the public and leads the conversation about improving women’s health and healthcare experiences. To learn more, visit menopause.org.

Journal

Menopause

DOI

10.1097/GME.0000000000002640

Method of Research

Meta-analysis

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

The associations of early and surgical menopause with 10-year employment trajectories bracketing final menstruation or surgery

Article Publication Date

8-Oct-2025

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

The doctor behind 'The Vagina Bible' wrote a new book on menopause, and she says she's skeptical of the startups targeting middle-aged women

pyeo@businessinsider.com (Patricia Kelly Yeo) 15 hrs ago

LikeComments|

2

© Peacock Alley Entertainment Dr. Jen Gunter in 2019.

Gynecologist Jen Gunter's new book debunks myths about menopause.
Gunter said most startups that are trying to tackle menopause aren't selling anything new.

Her expert advice for those approaching or in menopause: quit smoking, exercise, and eat healthy.

Menopause - medically defined as the stage after a biological female's final menstrual period - is as universal an experience as first starting your period in puberty.

Accompanied by declining levels in sex hormones and eventual loss of fertility, the experience of going through menopause isn't exactly well-depicted in media or commonly spoken about - so Dr. Jen Gunter wrote her second book about it.

"Menopause is puberty in reverse," she writes in "The Menopause Manifesto," set to be published May 25. Unlike pregnancy, menopause will happen in all biological females who live past a certain age, yet few honest, accessible, and women-centered discussions on the reproductive transition exist, Gunter said.

Beyond the loss of period and measured hormonal declines, menopause symptoms can vary widely. Common ones include changes in body temperature, mood, sleep, weight, and sex drive.

Intended to be an inclusive, educational and historical guide to the fertility transition, "The Menopause Manifesto" is Gunter's follow-up to The New York Times-bestselling "The Vagina Bible" published in 2019.

Gunter, a practicing gynecologist in the Bay Area, also dispenses science-backed health advice for women across the board.

Having first spoken out against Goop's controversial jade eggs in 2017, Gunter is a vocal online critic of health misinformation and the many forms misogyny can take within it.

Speaking to Insider, Gunter said she was inspired to write "The Menopause Manifesto" largely due to the negative stereotypes women approaching menopause face around their sexual value and social worth, as well as the lack of easily understandable, de-stigmatized information on the biological transition.

Similar to her first book, it cuts through the misogyny embedded in conventional Western medicine to talk about women's health to debunk myths and provide historical and social context. Her 25 years of clinical experience and her personal experiences with premenopause, the long and varied phase leading up to it, guided its writing as well.

Gunter's focus on aging women is happening at a time when there's been a"menopause product boom," and calls for increased venture funding. Though she said that women over the age of 45 have been "treated like a silent demographic," Gunter expressed skepticism about the increased attention to the estimated $600 billion market.

"If you need calcium, you can take a calcium supplement," she said. "Why do you need one branded for menopause? Is that like a pink tax, plus a menopause tax on top of it?"

Instead, Gunter offered three general health recommendations for those either already in or approaching menopause: quit smoking, exercise, and eat a healthy diet - with plenty of fiber.
Venture-backed menopause startups aren't doing anything new

"The Menopause Manifesto" draws upon dozens of scientific studies evaluating the evidence for different approaches to managing menopause symptoms, most of which are caused by declining levels of the sex hormone estrogen.

One of the first mainstream medical treatments for menopause that might come to mind is hormone replacement therapy. In her book, Gunter rejects the term for its value-laden connotations, preferring to use the term menopausal hormone therapy, or MHT.

"While MHT can be helpful for many people, it really needs to be looked at as one part of the puzzle," Gunter said. "Often the focus seems to be on estrogen, as opposed to the whole experience."

Other approaches beyond MHT and lifestyle recommendations, Gunter found, have little evidence for wellness and alternative health products in treating the symptoms of menopause. In "The Menopause Manifesto," she devotes seven chapters to both medical treatments and unregulated products, including dietary supplements, bioidentical hormones, birth control, and MHT.

Although Gunter said she would need to consider each product on an individual basis, she's wary of slickly marketed products, particularly supplements and other combination products that market themselves as blanket solutions.

"Things claim to be 'ovary support' or 'menopause support,' but that's a medically meaningless term," she said. "Most people don't need to take a supplement."

With the exception of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin B12, the data on efficacy for most menopause-targeted supplements, including popular multivitamins, remains spotty and scarce, according to "The Menopause Manifesto." Despite the billions of dollars consumers pour into the supplement industry, food remains the best way to get micronutrients.

In the last year, she said a handful of startups have pitched her menopause-related ventures, none of which seemed to be different for existing free resources for menopause patients.

"Someone pitched me some app that women would sign up for and pay for with all the guidelines [for menopause]," Gunter said.

"And I'm like, 'The North American Menopause Society has one and it's free! How is your app different from that?' Then there's just a big silence."
Her doctor's advice for managing menopause symptoms is science-backed and likely unsurprising

Menopause symptoms can include hot flashes and brain fog. Gunter pointed to some ways to improve health and well-being during that time.

Gunter's recommendations for people in menopause are simple: quit smoking, strive for the American Heart Association's recommended 150 minutes of weekly aerobic exercise, and learn how to eat healthier - including hitting the broadly recommended daily 25 grams of fiber.

"The science of nutritional studies is really challenging for a lot of reasons, but the takeaway really is that people need to eat more vegetables," she said.

In addition to getting enough fiber, Gunter added we'd likely all be a little bit better off with trying to eat more plant-based protein and minimizing processed food. More accessible, high fiber, healthy food would improve public health overall, and reduce people's risk of other conditions like hemorrhoids and colorectal cancer.

"I guess what people can benefit from isn't sexy," she added. "Nobody wants to buy a book about the hundred joys of fiber."

Gunter also highlighted adding weight-bearing exercise, since strength training can help mitigate the effects of bone loss and accelerated loss of muscle mass that occurs during menopause.

What works for one person may not work for another, but Gunter is firm in her belief we all probably need to move our bodies more - a message that's often lost in Instagram-friendly advertising for women's health products.

"If health and wellness is something that appeals to you - exercising and learning how to eat better and prepare meals is good, but there isn't a specific pillow or bed sheet or supplement that's going to help with menopause," she said.

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Menopause costs the Canadian economy billions every year. Here’s why

Story by Katie Dangerfield • Global News

Deepti Neto, 63, was trying to run her Toronto-based real estate business running on three to four hours of sleep every night.

She had always been a great sleeper, but in 2013 she started experiencing insomnia and her cognitive and communication abilities were declining as a result.

Global News
Women needlessly suffering with menopause symptoms
Duration 5:01 View on Watch

Menopause symptoms costing economy billions
Duration 2:17 View on Watch

Neto tried to buy a new mattress to help, but it wasn't until she noticed her period became more sporadic that she realized she may be experiencing perimenopausal symptoms.

"So I did what everyone does: I drank herbal teas, went to acupuncture, I did everything I could do, but nothing was helping. My sleep was getting worse," she said, adding that it was affecting her business.

"I am a real estate agent so my communication and cognitive skills are my best skills, it's my job. I was getting worried."

She then went to her doctor, who informed her that he could not provide treatment until she had gone a full year without a period, as that is "when they consider you to be in menopause," she said. Instead, she was given antidepressants.

But Neto was still having sporadic periods. She was experiencing insomnia, hot flashes and anxiety, all of which are characteristic of perimenopause, the stage leading up to menopause. And she said the antidepressants were causing her more fatigue.

She stopped taking the antidepressants and switched doctors. She was then prescribed menopause hormone therapy and "immediately started feeling better."

"The sleep symptoms were eradicated within a week or two," she said, adding that if she hadn't advocated for her health, she may have never found the solution.

Menopause, exacerbated by stigma, lack of workplace support and the burden of debilitating symptoms, carries a substantial cost for the Canadian economy, amounting to an estimated $3.5 billion per year, according to a new report.

The Menopause Foundation of Canada released the report Monday, finding that unmanaged symptoms of menopause cost employers an estimated $237 million annually in lost productivity. And women experience a substantial financial burden, with $3.3 billion in lost income because of reduced hours, diminished pay, or leaving the workforce altogether.

The report also found that 540,000 lost days of work can be attributed to menopause symptom management per year.

"Many women are blindsided by menopause, which is really just being unprepared for this stage of life," explained Janet Ko, president and co-founder, of the Menopause Foundation of Canada.

"What that leads to is some women stepping back from the workforce, leaving altogether, taking a lesser job, reducing their hours, going part-time or not taking that promotion. We believe menopause is the missing link to explain why more women are breaking through the glass ceiling," she added.

Menopause impacts women’s careers according to a recent report

In Canada, there are more than two million working women aged 45-55, which is the average age at which most women experience menopause, according to the report.

There is also a period before menopause, called perimenopause, which can last two to 20 years, Ko said. And then there's post-menopause, which can last for the rest of a woman's life.

"So women will actually spend up to half of their lives in a stage of menopause," she said.

While menopause is a universal life stage for most women, a survey in the report found that 46 per per cent of respondents said they are not prepared for this transition.

Menopause costs the Canadian economy billions every year. Here’s why© Provided by Global News

Ko referred to this as the "menopause knowledge gap," signifying a lack of understanding among women regarding the changes in their bodies and the symptoms triggered by hormonal fluctuations.

As a result, many women do not get the help they need.

"That not only impacts their health, their quality of life, but it also impacts their ability to work as productively as they would like," she said, adding that menopause usually happens during the peak of women's careers.

The survey also found that more than one-third of working women said menopause symptoms negatively impacted their work performance. And around one-quarter said they his their symptoms at work.

Sixty-seven per cent said they would not feel comfortable talking to their supervisor about their symptoms, and almost half said they would be too embarrassed to ask for help at work.

And an estimated one in 10 women will leave the workforce due to unmanaged symptoms of menopause.

During menopause, the ovaries stop the process of ovulation and estrogen production, and as a consequence, women stop menstruating, explained Teresa Isabel Dias, a pharmacist and a certified menopause practitioner based in Toronto.

Perimenopause is the transition period, lasting six to eight years, leading up to menopause when a woman’s menstrual cycles could become irregular as the hormone levels fluctuate.

"Women may start experiencing things like this at the age of 35. And nobody is aware of that such big change can take place so early in life. So a lot of women struggle for many years when they have early perimenopause because our health care is not trained on this," she said.

In Canada, the average age of menopause is 51.5 years. But most women are in perimenopause between the ages of 40 and 50, according to the Menopause Foundation of Canada.

And women can continue experiencing symptoms into their 60s and 70s.

There are also over 30 symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, insomnia, brain fog, anxiety and joint pains.

Surprising facts about menopause

Not every woman goes through a rough time, Dias said, adding that "20 per cent do not experience any bothersome symptoms."

But one of the biggest risks of menopause that she hopes women will be aware of is the loss of estrogen.

"Estrogen is protective for the bones. It helps to not lose bone density as fast. It also helps with the heart," she said.

"Estrogen is a girl's best friend. And when we don't have it, we have to do other things to reduce our risk for disease," she said.

The number one piece of advice Dias gave for women is to lead a healthy lifestyle, such as eating healthy nutritious foods, drinking enough water, getting regular exercise and sleeping at least eight hours every night.

"We have to have compassion towards ourselves, have a lot of patience to go through this and believe that we'll get to the other side," she said.

Treatments for menopause, like hormone replacement therapy and pelvic floor physiotherapy, are available options. However, Ko pointed out that due to the significant stigma surrounding this topic, many women do not know where to seek help and often are hesitant to talk about it.

The report found that 87 per cent of working women felt their employer does not provide, or do not know if they provide, support related to menopause. The most common supports identified as desirable are medical coverage, flexible workplace policies and environmental adjustments, along with general awareness and education, the report found.

"It's a really important topic that doesn't get a lot of attention," Ko said. "Menopause is overwhelmingly viewed as negative in our society.

"The image of the menopausal woman is very unflattering, which is why I think many women don't want to be associated with that negative portrayal of a woman. So menopause comes wrapped up in secrecy and mystery."

Video: World Menopause Day: facts and misconceptions

But the workplace could be a great place to start breaking down the stigma, she said.

This could entail holding information sessions with employees, putting information up on the company website, creating an employee resource group and improving benefit plans (to cover hormone therapy), Ko said.

"We believe that most employers have just never considered this and that when they understand the number of women in the workforce that are going through this they'll start to look at it," she said.

"We have the skills, experience and leadership that employers need, and they can't afford to lose."

-- with files from Global News' Saba Aziz

Thursday, May 22, 2025

New study reveals impact of neighborhood disadvantage on menopause onset

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute

Key Findings

Women living in neighborhoods with high vulnerability had a higher risk of earlier natural menopause onset, primarily due to socioeconomic status and household conditions.

No significant association was found between neighborhood disadvantage and the severity of menopause symptoms.

Boston, MA – A new study led by the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute highlights the significant impact of living in disadvantaged neighborhoods on the onset of menopause. The research followed 691 women from pregnancy to midlife and found that those residing in highly vulnerable neighborhoods, particularly within 10 years of perimenopause onset, experienced menopause approximately two years earlier than those in less vulnerable areas.

The study, “Neighborhood Vulnerability and Age of Natural Menopause and Menopause Symptoms Among Midlife Women” was published May 22 in JAMA Network Open.

Women experiencing more intense menopausal symptoms have demonstrated lower quality of life and cognitive performance. Additionally, women who undergo menopause at an earlier age face a higher risk of developing long-term health issues; specifically, a 1-year decrease in menopause age is linked to 2-3% higher risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, and mortality. At present, there are significant gaps in understanding how neighborhood contexts may affect reproductive aging in midlife women.

"Identifying risk factors for earlier menopause is important for public health, potentially informing strategies to reduce the potential for adverse outcomes. Our research indicates that living in less vulnerable neighborhoods may be a key factor in preventing earlier menopause and reducing future disease risk," said Izzuddin Aris, Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor of Population Medicine at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute and senior author of the study.

The study included nearly 700 women from Project Viva, a prospective cohort in eastern Massachusetts, followed from April 1999 to August 2021. Researchers used geocoded residential addresses to assess neighborhood vulnerability and its effects on menopause onset and symptoms. The Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) was used to measure neighborhood disadvantage, considering factors such as socioeconomic status, household composition, and racial and ethnic minority status. Study findings showed women who resided in neighborhoods with very high (vs. very low) vulnerability exhibited higher risk of earlier natural menopause onset (by approximately 2 years), driven primarily by socioeconomic status and household composition. No associations with menopause symptom severity were observed.

The findings underscore the necessity of addressing neighborhood contexts to level reproductive health outcomes across populations.

"As certain characteristics of disadvantaged neighborhoods, such as limited access to social and economic resources, can be modified through community-led initiatives or policies implemented at the local and federal levels, future research is warranted to investigate whether such strategies could alleviate the association between neighborhood disadvantage and early menopause," added Aris.

About the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute’s Department of Population Medicine
The Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute's Department of Population Medicine is a unique collaboration between Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Harvard Medical School. Created in 1992, it is the first appointing medical school department in the United States based in a health plan. The Institute focuses on improving health care delivery and population health through innovative research and education, in partnership with health plans, delivery systems, and public health agencies. Follow us on Bluesky, X, and LinkedIn.