Menopause News and Research

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Menopause is the time in a woman's life when her period stops. It usually occurs naturally, most often after age 45. Menopause happens because the woman's ovary stops producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Millions of women may be unaware of their risk for cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic disease

Millions of women may be unknowingly living with risk factors for heart, kidney and metabolic disease – interconnected conditions that together drive risk for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death among women, according to experts with the American Heart Association, a global force changing the future of health for all.

12 May 2025

Early menopause increases risk of fatty liver disease and metabolic disorders

Women who experience menopause before the age of 50 - and especially before the age of 45 - are more likely to develop fatty liver disease and its related metabolic risk factors within one year after menopause, according to research presented at the first Joint Congress between the European Society of Paediatric Endocrinology (ESPE) and the European Society of Endocrinology (ESE).

11 May 2025

Late motherhood and weight gain greatly increase breast cancer risk

Women who experience significant weight gain after the age of 20 and either have their first child after the age of 30 or don't have children are almost three times more likely to develop breast cancer than those who give birth earlier and whose weight remains relatively stable, new research from the UK being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) has found.

11 May 2025

Ovary and fallopian tube removal linked to lower death risk in BRCA carriers with breast cancer

Women diagnosed with breast cancer who carry particular BRCA1 and BRCA2 genetic variants are offered surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes as this dramatically reduces their risk of ovarian cancer.

8 May 2025

Women with serious mental illness need more support and education during menopause transition

Many women struggle to find resources to help manage their menopause symptoms. For women living with a serious mental illness, the need for additional support and education during the menopause transition is even greater.

7 May 2025

Canadian study links ultra processed foods to poor health outcomes

A landmark study exploring Canadians' consumption of chips, frozen pizzas, breakfast cereals and other ultra-processed foods typically loaded with fat, sugar and additives has confirmed these foods are directly and significantly linked to poor health outcomes.

7 May 2025

Progesterone-only contraceptive pill linked to increased asthma attacks in some women

A major study of around 260,000 women shows that taking the progesterone-only contraceptive pill can increase asthma attacks in some women.

7 May 2025

Study shows brain estrogen directly regulates appetite in mice

Researchers in Japan found that estrogen produced within the brain, called neuroestrogen, suppresses appetite and reduces body weight in mice by enhancing MC4R expression. The study also showed that neuroestrogen boosts leptin sensitivity, suggesting new targets for obesity treatment.

2 May 2025

Endometriosis raises the risk of premature menopause in women

Women who suffer from endometriosis have an increased risk of premature and early menopause, both naturally and surgically, University of Queensland researchers have found.

30 Apr 2025

Study highlights changes in bladder and urinary tract health across the menopause transition

The menopause transition is often accompanied by a wide array of symptoms, some of which receive more attention than others.

29 Apr 2025

How blood iron levels shape the pace of biological aging

Researchers examine the role of blood iron levels in DNA methylation-based measurements of biological aging.

29 Apr 2025

Postmenopausal women can reclaim intimacy with support and self-awareness, study finds

A qualitative study conducted in Qazvin, Iran, explored how cultural beliefs, personal experiences, and social dynamics affect the sexual well-being of postmenopausal women. The findings reveal that emotional support, open communication, and reframed attitudes are key to enhancing intimacy after menopause.

23 Apr 2025

Can a plant-based diet help prevent breast cancer?

A case-control study in Iranian women found that higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet significantly reduces breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women and those with a BMI under 25. In contrast, high intake of unhealthy plant-based foods raised risk in premenopausal women.

22 Apr 2025

Age and sex shape Alzheimer’s blood biomarkers, study finds

ESTHER study found that non-modifiable factors like age, sex, and APOE ε4 status significantly influence blood biomarker levels linked to Alzheimer’s disease. GFAP and NfL levels, in particular, showed strong age- and sex-related patterns, with GFAP levels rising faster in women.

22 Apr 2025

New $15 million study aims to understand cardiovascular and kidney disease risk factors in women

Research teams from Augusta University, Massachusetts General Hospital and The Ohio State University will lead a $15 million project dedicated to studying the various ways that risk factors for cardiovascular and kidney diseases impact women.

22 Apr 2025

Sex and age play key roles in dementia biomarker levels

A new study has found important clues about the roles age, sex, hormonal changes and genetics play in how certain biomarkers for dementia are expressed in the blood, according to a study published on April 16, 2025, online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

16 Apr 2025

Early menopause linked to worse cognitive function in later life

A team of researchers from the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science found that women who entered menopause before the age of 40 had worse cognitive outcomes than women who entered menopause after the age of 50.

16 Apr 2025