Nearly a third of postmenopausal women experience vaginal changes, including dryness, itching and pain during sex -- symptoms related to the declining levels of estrogen occurring during the transition to menopause. According to a study [...]
Since the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) reported that the risks of menopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) outweighed its benefits, there has been a significant reduction in the use of HRT. However, since that time, studies [...]
Several recent articles indicate that the burden of menopausal symptoms is greater than generally perceived. About 80% of women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) – hot flashes and night sweats — as they transition into the [...]
According to a new study, supplementation with calcium and vitamin D does not appear to improve menopause-related vasomotor symptoms, mood changes, or sleep quality in postmenopausal women. This was a secondary analysis of data from the Women’s [...]
Studies evaluating the relationship of caffeine to vasomotor symptoms have yielded conflicting results.
Up to 80% of women experience vasomotor symptoms (VMS) as they transition into the menopause phase. While clinical guidelines suggest that VMS typically last from 6 months to 2 years, we often see women with VMS lasting for a much longer period of time. To more accurately assess the duration of VMS in perimenopausal women, researchers analyzed data from 1449 women included in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), an observational study of women entering menopause. Here is a summary of the key findings:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT is a type of psychotherapy that has been shown to be effective for the treatment of depression, anxiety, and sleep problems. Recently, several randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that CBT is effective for managing vasomotor symptoms in menopausal women.
Previous studies have shown that the abrupt hormonal changes that occur after a surgical menopause (i.e., removal of the ovaries) negatively affect cognition in women. According to a recent study, "Women who were younger at the time of surgical menopause have a more rapid rate (steeper slope) of cognitive decline than women who were older at the time of surgery or than women undergoing natural menopause." Earlier age at menopause was also associated with increased Alzheimer’s disease neuropathology, in particular neuritic plaques.
We have recently written about the link between vitamin D and depression. While several studies have indicated that low vitamin D levels may be associated with depression, we lack randomized, controlled trials assessing the benefits of vitamin D supplements for the treatment (or prevention) of depression. A recent report from the Women's Health Initiative Calcium and Vitamin D Trial included 36,282 women (50 to 80 years of age) who were randomized to receive 400 IU vitamin D (with 1000 mg calcium) or to placebo.
Each year about 600,000 women in the United States undergo a hysterectomy. Somewhere between 55% and 80% of these women who also have their ovaries removed along with the uterus—a procedure known as oophorectomy. After the removal of the ovaries, menopause follows immediately and is associated with a constellation of symptoms including hot flashes and insomnia, as well as depression and anxiety.
