Background

More research is needed to help women and their health care providers effectively navigate the menopausal transition and promote well-being through midlife and beyond.

Menopause is a normal phase of life involving the permanent end of menstrual cycling. However, the experience is different for everyone. Symptoms leading up to menopause vary and can include (but are not limited to) hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and cognitive and mood changes. During the menopause transition, some people may experience severe symptoms that affect their quality of life, but few receive treatment that effectively provides symptom relief. Many health care providers report uncertainty about the best approaches to evaluating and managing menopausal symptoms.

Menopause is also a critical window for understanding and addressing long-term health. Hormone changes during menopause can affect cholesterol levels, blood pressure, weight, bone density, sleep quality, sexual health, emotional well-being, and other factors that influence overall health. After menopause, risks for developing cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, and other chronic conditions increase. Improving management of the menopausal transition could help prevent future health problems.

About the Workshop

This NIH Pathways to Prevention (P2P) workshop brought together federal agencies, researchers, and community members to understand the current state of the science related to the menopausal transition and identify research gaps.

An independent panel will summarize the workshop’s findings and make recommendations for future research and practice. These recommendations may help generate new funding opportunities, inspire collaborative research projects, or lead to improvements in data resources and methods.

Sponsoring Organizations

• NIH Office of Disease Prevention
• NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health
• National Cancer Institute
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• National Institute on Aging
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• National Institute of Mental Health
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality