Menopause ‘is not a disease and is now over-medicalized’: Top experts claim problems blamed on ‘the change’ may be due to aging and stressful life events

Menopause is being overmedicalized and treated as ‘a disease’ rather than a healthy part of aging, experts say.

Once taboo, Britain is now in the grip of a ‘menopausal moment’, they suggest, with negative experiences being overemphasized.

As a result, many high-income countries view menopause as a medical problem or hormone deficiency disorder, with long-term health risks best managed by HRT.

In fact, many problems attributed to menopause may simply be a result of growing older, they say.

Symptoms – such as changes in mood, brain function and sexual problems – can simply be caused or worsened by stressful life events, such as raising children, work or caring for elderly relatives.

The number of HRT prescriptions for menopausal women has increased dramatically in recent years, with 11 million items distributed in 2022/2023 to help manage symptoms

In the Lancet they suggest that a new approach is needed, based on ‘health empowerment’, where women are given the knowledge, confidence and self-determination to manage their own health.

‘While managing symptoms is important, a medicalised view of menopause can discourage women, leading to overtreatment and overlooking potential positive effects such as better mental health with age and the release of periods, menstrual disorders and contraception,” they say. to write.

Doctors should take into account women’s lifestyles, such as sleep, alcohol consumption and smoking, which can worsen symptoms while offering alternatives such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and hypnosis, they said.

Although HRT has been shown to improve sleep, memory and concentration in women who take it for hot flashes, it is “unlikely to have any effect in women without” hot flashes, they said.

And while it reduces the risk of bone fractures, evidence shows that these benefits may diminish five years after HRT stops.

If women want HRT, the experts say doctors should provide ‘realistic information about the likely effects of treatment, the likelihood of residual symptoms and the possibility of symptoms returning if treatment stops’.

Although HRT has been shown to improve sleep, memory and concentration in women who take it for hot flashes, it is “unlikely to have any effect in women without” hot flashes, researchers wrote in The Lancet. And while it reduces the risk of bone fractures, evidence shows these benefits may diminish five years after HRT stops (stock)

A second article found no evidence of an increased risk of mental health disorders in women going through menopause.

“Based on the scarce data, we found no compelling evidence that the risk of anxiety, bipolar disorder, or psychosis is universally increased during the transition to menopause,” the team said.

Series co-author Professor Martha Hickey, from the University of Melbourne and the Royal Women’s Hospital, said: ‘The misconception that menopause is always a medical problem that consistently heralds a decline in physical and mental health needs to be addressed across society. are challenged.

‘Many women lead valuable lives during and after menopause, contributing to work, family life and wider society.

‘Changing the narrative to view menopause as part of healthy aging can better enable women to navigate this stage of life and reduce fear and anxiety for those who have yet to experience it.’

She told a briefing that the team maintains that “menopause is not a disease.”

She said: ‘In a society that has very strong feelings about aging and women, this is a disease that is thought to herald decline and decay among them.’

Dr. Lydia Brown, from the University of Melbourne, said: ‘Menopause is having a cultural moment, and this is an opportunity to be recognized as a natural part of healthy aging for women, which, with the right preparation and support, may not be so. is. something to be afraid of.’

But Dr Louise Newson, GP and menopause specialist who runs Newson Health, said: ‘Menopause is more than a collection of symptoms.

‘It is a cardiometabolic and inflammatory condition that leads to an increased risk of many diseases.

‘Talking about menopause as a ‘natural transition’ or part of ‘healthy aging’ ignores the very real suffering of many women with menopausal symptoms.’

The number of HRT prescriptions for menopausal women has increased dramatically in recent years, with 11 million items distributed in 2022/2023 to help manage symptoms.

Experts have attributed the rise to the ‘Davina effect’ and wider awareness of menopause.

TV personality Davina McCall has released a series of documentaries on menopause which, along with the efforts of campaigners, has led to a huge increase in awareness.

In one programme, the 56-year-old former Big Brother presenter spoke about her struggle with the crippling symptoms in her 40s.