pausitive health’s Post

📈 Data from the Health Care Cost Institute indicates the diagnosis of #menopause is on the rise. However, even with the increase, the percent of women with any diagnosis of menopause was only 14.7%! Although any increase is a hopeful sign, there is still SO much more progress that must be made. Millions of women face daily challenges and suffer in silence unnecessarily during this stage of life when help is available. 🌟 At pausitive health we offer a program that provides empowering education, resources and tools, care, and community to address the myriad symptoms and chronic disease risks which arise during the hormonal transition. Become a member now! https://lnkd.in/emigrUnY Kudos to HCCI and Tanya Natwick, Katie Martin, Nelly Ganesan and colleague Kelsey Mellard for their analysis and sage words: "......every clinician treating women should begin screening for perimenopause by asking key questions starting at age 40 or earlier with the goal of discussing treatment options to alleviate current symptoms and setting expectations for what lies ahead. Tools, such as menopause symptom trackers, clinician discussion guides, and updated clinical guidelines could help both women and providers navigate the confusion and misinformation surrounding menopause. This analysis underscores the need for education on identifying menopause symptoms, not only for OB/GYNs but also for family and internal medicine practitioners." 🌎 This World Menopause Month, let's work to reach the day when women+ (and their clinicians) receive the education needed to proactively seek help, find compassionate, expert care, and have access to workplace benefits and resources that enable them to thrive at work during this life stage! Courtney Pesek, Joan Pagano, Kim Fancher, Cheryl Lynn Jones, Jenn Strathman, Dave Guilmette, David Drap, London R., Jane Hindes Miller, Annie Gaudreault, Rachel Boehm, NBC-HWC, PhD Candidate, Aspen T., Carol L Oravec, Nuchelle Beck, Sharon Marable, MD, MPH, FACP, Amanda Hopkins Tirrell, MBA, FACHE, Marina Tarasova, Kathryn Tong, Alisha TolerAlisha Lalani, Delphine O'Rourke, JD, Felicity Manavi, Angela Bannerman Ankoma, Kamili Wilson Michael Libercci, Michael Coley, CEBS https://lnkd.in/g7vdRC75

The US Menopause Numbers - There are approximately 41M women in the US that fall within perimenopausal to (post) menopausal age range (40 to 58-years-old)  - In the U.S., more than 2 million women yearly reach menopause  - The average age of menopausal women in the United States is 52  - Only 1% of women experience menopause before age 40 (premature/early menopause)  - With an average life expectancy of 81, women are spending greater than one-third of their lives in menopause  Economic Impacts of Not Addressing Menopause   - The U.S. economy is losing $26.6 billion a year due to lost productivity and health expenses (direct medical costs related to menopause cost this age group an additional $24.8 billion annually)    - Menopause costs American women an estimated $1.8 billion in lost working time per year (due to missing work or cutting back on hours, being laid off, quitting/retiring/or changing jobs)   - 73% of women were not treating their menopause symptoms     It's is time we reframe menopause and a management approach that is not simply focused on medical interventions that relieve symptoms ... it's time we invest in more research focused on women's health .... it's time we reduce the stigmatisation of menopause and more effectively represent the authentic needs of women #WHAMNOW, #SEEHER

To help fill the research gap on menopause, our Health Care Strategy team at NORC at the University of Chicago partnered with AARP's Public Policy Institute to examine the number of women who sought medical treatment for menopause and the costs for these treatments. Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), we estimated that 2.1M women aged 45 to 64 (nearly 6% of all women in this age group) were treated for their symptoms each year between 2016 and 2021. Of this estimate, nearly two-thirds of women received hormone replacement therapy, and 15% were prescribed antidepressant medications. Our analysis did not include women who treated their menopausal symptoms with over-the-counter medications or complementary and alternative therapies. See more details in the recently published AARP blog - https://lnkd.in/gTxSGFyZ. Kudos to HCS team members, Luis Arzaluz, Alex Hartzman, and Aiden Wynia, for their thoughtful analysis! #WomensHealth #Menopause #HealthPolicy #HealthCareSpend #HRT

📚 What we're reading... "Optimising Health after Early Menopause" is the second in a series of papers in The Lancet on Menopause.   In summary, the paper is a call to action for healthcare professionals and women alike to recognize and address the heightened risk of negative outcomes, including osteoporosis, in women who experience menopause before the typical age of 50–51. Timely diagnosis of early menopause and appropriate treatments are vital to improving the quality and quantity of life.   Some statistics that caught our eye: ⚫ 12% of women experience menopause between the ages of 40 years and 44 years, and menopause before age 40 (known as premature ovarian insufficiency) affects an additional 2–4% of women.   ⚫ Those with spontaneous early menopause or premature ovarian insufficiency had a 50% higher overall fracture rate up to age 80 years, compared with those with menopause at the average age.   ⚫ A US study found that for 25% of women with spontaneous premature ovarian insufficiency, establishing a diagnosis took over five years.   If you want to learn more about early menopause and its prevalence, risk factors, and treatment guidelines, read the full paper here👇 https://lnkd.in/eZ8-Kipb   #Osteoporosis #Menopause #WomensHealth

As #menopauseawarenessmonth is coming to an end, let’s debunk some common myths. ❌Menopause always start in your 50s❌ Menopause can start much earlier for some. Though, the average age is 51 in the UK, perimenopausal symptoms can start as early as late 30s or early 40s. It’s also important to remember that there are conditions like primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) or premature menopause in those under the age of 40. These can be triggered by genetics, autoimmune diseases, or medical treatments like chemotherapy or surgery. ❌Menopause is the same for everyone regardless of race or ethnicity ❌ Menopause can manifest differently across racial and ethnic groups for a variety of reasons including genetics, lifestyle, socioeconomic factors, and healthcare disparities. Research shows that Black women, for instance, enter menopause at younger ages and tend to experience more severe menopausal symptoms which lasts longer and worsen in severity with time. Similarly, South Asian women also enter menopause at younger ages from other racial or ethnic backgrounds, sometimes as early as their early 40s increasing their risks of health issues like osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease due to the longer period without protection of the incredible hormone oestrogen. Much research is still needed in this area. Please partake in the Habari Research which seeks to better understand the taboos, practices and support in place to those experiencing the menopause. Please click the link here to partake and share with others too. https://lnkd.in/eFMHkpB2 ❌Menopause is the end of sexual desire and pleasure.❌ Whilst it’s true that the drop in oestrogen levels during menopause can cause genitourinary symptoms of menopause such as vaginal dryness and irritation, which can affect intimacy, it does not automatically mean an end to sexual desire or pleasure. For many women and those experiencing menopause, it can bring newfound sexual freedom, especially from past concerns of unplanned pregnancies, a sense of agency and excitement in their intimate lives. There are also treatment options that can help manage symptoms such as Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), vaginal moisturers and more and should be offered and mustn’t be overlooked. What myths have you heard that you want to debunk? Let me know in the comments ♥️ #menopause #menopausestories #menopauseawareness Vikram Sinai Talaulikar Dr Yansie Rolston

Most people know about menopause occurring in women. But do you know that after a certain age, just like women, men also start experiencing menopause-like changes in their body, which is known as Andropause or Male Menopause. This condition arises due to lack of testosterone level in the body of men. According to doctors, not only women go through hormonal changes with age, but men also experience some such symptoms with age. How is andropause different from menopause? Menopause is generally seen as the end of a woman's biological clock. Whereas during andropause in men, the reproductive organs do not disappear completely. Men still produce sperm and, unlike women, still have reproductive capacity. cause of andropause Andropause or male menopause is more common in men between 45 years and 55 years. Whereas the testosterone level of a man aged 70 years or older may drop by about 50 percent. Additionally, obesity, type 2 diabetes, hormonal disorders, liver or kidney disease, and infections can also cause premature andropause. symptoms of male menopause -Tiredness -depression -irritability -Reduction in sexual desire -Erectile dysfunction -Reduction in muscle mass -obesity -sweating a lot -dry skin -hot flash Ways to deal with male menopause -Taking a balanced diet also helps in reducing health problems caused by hormonal fluctuations. -Include regular exercise in your routine, including strength training and cardiovascular exercise. By doing this the mood will remain better. -Try to reduce the stress of your everyday life with the help of meditation and yoga. By doing this mental health remains better. -You can make a rehabilitation plan by talking to the doctor. Which can help in reducing the symptoms of andropause. -Hormone replacement therapy can be beneficial to overcome testosterone deficiency.

There’s a newly recommended treatment for menopause: HRT + CBT Yes, you read that right. For years, Hormone Replacement Therapy has had a reputation for being a treatment that was too risky to broadly recommend for menopause management. What's changed? NICE - National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has just released menopause guidelines that offer *stronger guidance*, recommending HRT as a treatment. ! Here's what you need to know:  • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is now officially recommended as first-line treatment (NOT therapy)  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is now positioned as an additional support option, not an alternative to HRT The strengthened guidance also emphasises that:  • HRT does not affect overall life expectancy - this means it will not shorten or extend women's lives • HRT significantly reduces osteoporosis and bone fractures  • Combined HRT doesn't increase heart disease or dementia risk But... it does slightly increase the risk of breast cancer and blood clots. Experts also express their concern that the guidelines lack clarity on distinguishing between different types of HRT, their relative safety profiles, and specific formulation recommendations. What does this mean for you? If you're experiencing menopause symptoms, discuss HRT with healthcare providers, in addition to other therapies and find out what your options are. At Sol, we're passionate about empowering you with reliable and trustworthy women's health information. #menopause #menopausesupport #menopauserelief #menopausesymptoms #menopauseawarenss #menopausehealth #menopausehelp #womenshealth #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthcare #womenover40

Many companies have a commercial interest in portraying menopause as a “medical problem”, leaving women inundated with misinformation and pushed towards ineffective treatments, a series of papers published in international medical journal the Lancet has found. The findings have prompted leading doctors and researchers – including those from the US, UK and Australia – to jointly call for a societal shift that challenges inaccurate assumptions. A review of the medical literature on menopause, which was part of the series, found misguided or harmful attitudes towards menopause were often pervasive in high-income countries. These countries needed to learn from societies where ageing in women conferred respect and in which views of menopause were more affirming, the paper said, noting Indigenous communities in Australia considered menopause as less of a problem. Rather than assuming midlife depression was often caused by menopause, societies should “promote gender equity and safety across the lifespan since early adversity increases the risk of poor mental health at midlife”, said the paper, which focused on mental health during perimenopause. #womenshealth #femtech #healthtech #digitalhealth #healthcare #healthcareinnovation #startups #innovation #health #medtech #healthcareresearch #femalehealth #genderhealthgap #reproductivehealth #venturecapital #vc #funding #investment #grants #maternalhealth #periods #menstruation #sexualhealth #sextech #menopause #fertility #pregnancy #postpartum #eggfreezing #IVF #healthequity #pelvicfloor #pelvicfloorhealth #hormonehealth

#YourLife Great news, girls! Menopause is no longer a taboo subject. Gone are the days when women never complained or discussed the gamut of symptoms associated with perimenopause (the transition into menopause), menopause, and postmenopause and suffered through it as “part of the life of being a woman.” There is a growing number of health professionals that now specialize in menopause. There’s even an annual conference put on by the Menopause Society that brings together over 1,300 healthcare professionals, including key thought leaders, decision-makers, and educators in their respective fields, for a comprehensive scientific program of presentation on the latest research and its clinical application. The Global Menopause Market was valued at $16.9 billion in 2022 and is poised to grow to $26.97 billion by 2031. There is a need! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2023 approved Astellas Pharma’s drug to treat menopausal hot flashes, and pharmaceutical giant Bayer is currently developing a similar medication. Some companies are beginning to offer menopause benefits to their employees. Lawmakers have pushed for more research on menopause. And a flurry of menopause-focused startups have launched in recent years to supplement traditional care since studies suggest a significant portion of people going through menopause are not treated. In addition, women such as celebrities Naomi Watts, Oprah Winfrey, and Halle Berry are making it ok to finally and openly discuss menopause in everyday life. If you celebrate aging, you must celebrate every faucet, including menopause, because IT IS EVERY DAY life for millions of women.

🌸 Public Health and Menopause: Addressing an Overlooked Challenge 🌸 Menopause is a natural stage in life, yet its public health implications often receive insufficient attention. While menopause is a personal experience, its effects extend to public health in many ways: (1) Rising Healthcare Needs: Women transitioning through menopause often face an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and mental health issues like anxiety and depression. These health challenges strain healthcare systems, especially in settings where women’s health services are underdeveloped. (2) Workforce Impact: As more women remain in the workforce into their 50s and 60s, menopause can affect productivity and workplace well-being. Hot flashes, fatigue, and mood swings may lead to absenteeism, but supportive workplace policies and education could improve quality of life for women and keep them thriving in their careers. (3) Health Equity Concerns: Socioeconomic disparities affect access to care, with women in low-resource settings often facing the brunt of untreated symptoms and limited information. Culturally sensitive approaches are needed to break the stigma and make care accessible to all. (4) Lack of Awareness: Many women enter menopause without sufficient knowledge of what to expect or how to manage symptoms. Public health initiatives need to prioritize education and outreach to empower women with accurate information. It's time we give menopause the attention it deserves as a public health priority. By addressing these challenges through policy, education, and support, we can create healthier environments for women during this critical stage of life. Do you think there's enough awareness in women about the health risks associated with menopause? What can we do to change that? #PublicHealth #Menopause #WomensHealth #Healthcare #HealthEquity #MenopauseAwareness #WorkplaceWellbeing #WHO #UNICEF