Felice Gersh, MD’s Post

Today, on World #Menopause Day, we want to ask you: do you know what #obesity, #metabolic syndrome, #diabetes, #cardiovascular diseases, #osteoporosis, #dementia, #depression, and #cancer have in common? The risk of all these conditions significantly increases after entering menopause! Being in this stage of life is not just about hot flashes and night sweats. Menopause itself brings a higher risk of death from heart attack or stroke, and if it occurs early (before the age of 45), the risk of stroke increases by 50%. On the other hand, if menopause occurs later (after the age of 55), the risk of endometrial cancer rises substantially. Knowing these facts, we at BG Be Active have dedicated the past year to working on women's health during perimenopause and menopause. Our campaign, "Stronger than Menopause," focuses not only on the symptoms but also on the associated #health risks that come with this phase of life. Together with specialists from various medical fields, we aim to provide you with evidence-based information so you can take control of your health during this critical time. Knowledge is stronger than menopause — use it! It's time to take care of yourself! #StrongerThan Laska Nenova Svetlana Nencheva

Today, on World Menopause Day, Professor Albert Ferro - specialist in Cardiovascular Medicine and Chair of The Healthy Heart Trust gives his top tips on how small lifestyle changes can help prevent heart disease in menopausal women. “Despite major advances in its treatment, heart disease remains the biggest cause of death and disability worldwide. Before the menopause, women are protected from heart disease, but after the menopause their risk rapidly catches up to that of men. Here we suggest some simple tips for women after the menopause to minimise their risk and ensure they can keep their heart and blood circulation in good shape. Cardiovascular disease is important not only because of its effects on physical and mental health of individuals and their families but also because of its knock on effects in the workplace and on society. If you work with an organisation affected by this, do get in touch with us to talk about how we can work with your organisation to promote and educate on prevention of heart disease.” - Prof. Albert Ferro #worldmenopauseday #womenshealth #menopause #cardiovascular #healthyheart #Albert Ferro #healthyhearttrust #worldmenopauseday

My latest post on the myth of menopause as women's heart breaker (in the medical sense).

On #WorldMenopauseDay 2024, we're focusing on the link between #menopause and #ParkinsonsDisease (#PD) — a connection that is frequently overlooked in both research and clinical practice. 🧠💡 📊 Studies show that hormonal changes during #menopause can worsen #PD symptoms [1] [2] [3]. ➡ Here are some key insights: ⏩ Hormonal Impact on PD: 🌸 Estrogen may provide protection against Parkinson's, but during menopause, hormonal fluctuations are linked to worsening motor and non-motor symptoms such as fatigue, tremors, and urinary issues. ⏩ Unique Challenges for Women: 🔍 Research indicates that women with PD experience more severe non-motor symptoms, such as anxiety and depression 🎭, especially as they age. ⏩ Women’s health factors, such as menopause, are often underrepresented in Parkinson's disease (PD) research. 🧬⚕️ It’s time to bridge the gap with better research and care, ensuring that women navigating both menopause and Parkinson’s Disease receive the support they deserve. 💪 #WomensHealth #WorldMenopauseDay2024 #ParkinsonsDisease #AwarenessDay 👩⚕️💜 [1] Rao, S.C., Li, Y., Lapin, B. et al. Association of women-specific health factors in the severity of Parkinson’s disease. npj Parkinsons Dis. 9, 86 (2023). https://lnkd.in/dfXquWxT [2] Maas BR, Göttgens I, Tijsse Klasen HPS, Kapelle WM, Radder DLM, Bloem BR, Post B, de Vries NM and Darweesh SKL (2024) Age and gender differences in non-motor symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease. Front. Neurol. 15:1339716. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1339716 [3] Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. (2023). Menopause and Parkinson’s Disease. https://lnkd.in/dbtXBtQ6

Menopause. To be quite honest, I did not think much about it until I started having unexplained musculoskeletal symptoms, which could not be explained by anything else but a loss of estrogen, yet I found a lack of information on what can help. Millions of women like me have to suffer through this painful time without much evidence-based strategies to help support us. October is designated as World Menopause Month by World Health Organization, October 18th is designated as World Menopause Day. 100% of women will have menopause 75% will have menopausal symptoms 25% will have severe menopausal symptoms, that's millions of women Searches related to cardiovascular conditions or interventions frequently yield tens of thousands of results each year in PubMed while Menopause, a significant issue for women’s health, tends to have very few publications, usually in the hundreds or low thousands annually. NIH and other funding organizations must make this a priority! It is an equity issue too! #menopause #womenshealth

After generations of silence, it's great to see the change in narrative about menopause. But there is still more that needs to be done to improve the level of care women of menopausal age receive. Most women will enter the menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, but one in ten will experience premature menopause (before 40). Once symptoms start, you’re classed as perimenopausal until you’ve not had a period for 12 months. NICE guidelines state that if a woman is over 45 and presenting with any of the 34 typical menopause symptoms, their GP should automatically assume and diagnose menopause. However, women are often suffering the debilitating symptoms in silence, having been snubbed by medical professionals and employers. Delays to diagnosis means a delay to treatment, such as HRT, which can help reduce the risk of women developing osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. If you have been through, or are going through, the menopause, did you feel you were adequately supported by your GP? What made your experience so positive? And how have you passed this on to others? #WorldMenopauseDay #MenopauseAwareness

For many, menopause is an inevitable part of life, but there can be a lot of uncertainty among patients about how to best treat it. About 1.3 million people begin menopause each year in the US. Still, nearly 40% of people experiencing symptoms are not prescribed medication to treat those symptoms, about half delayed seeking care for six months, and many do not receive care, according to a 2023 study published in medical journal Menopause. As a result of being underdiagnosed and undertreated, over 1 million patients experience higher healthcare costs due to a lack of training among clinicians and possibly expensive conditions like joint and metabolic disorders. #menopause #womenshealth https://lnkd.in/eZhGiX9b

[INNOVATION UPDATE] Treating Hot Flashes Associated With Menopause During menopause and the post-menopausal period, most women experience hot flashes. This is due to changes in thermoregulatory processes that occur when reduced ovarian function leads to decreased estrogen levels. The most effective currently available treatments are hormonal therapies, which carry risks for some patients. Elinzanetant is a new nonhormonal treatment under development for moderate to severe hot flashes. Elinzanetant targets and limits the activity of thermoregulation-related neurons in the brain that become hyperactive when estrogen is reduced. In a recent late-stage clinical trial, menopausal and post-menopausal women who took elinzanetant had significantly fewer hot flashes at 12 weeks with sustained improvement at 52 weeks. Want to learn more about this novel intervention? View the latest Emerging Health Care Innovation Brief: https://hubs.la/Q02T_TCd0 #menopause #womenshealth #reproductivehealth #patientcare #healthcare #innovation #horizonscanning #ecri

I will be watching Panorama today with great interest. This just reaffirms how much more research we need on menopause health. Current guidelines say 100 mcg of oestrogen per day is the top level - going above this causes concern over the thickening of the lining of the womb, which holds some cancer risk. However, there are questions about some patient's ability to absorb oestrogen, so it is argued higher doses may be needed. Progesterone needs to be prescribed in line with the oestrogen to protect the womb lining, and if a higher dose is prescribed it has to be done extremely carefully whilst monitoring the patient's womb lining to ensure patient health. Was this being done? I will be interested to learn. If so, I assume any signs of thickening, and the dose would be immediately reduced. Louise Newson says her practice is research-led, as are the current guidelines. Who is right? We need to fund more research urgently so we have these answers! https://lnkd.in/ehA3nG9x

You won't hear this advice from me very often, but go ahead and throw that FDA product insert directly in the recycling bin. 📃🗑️ Did you know that the FDA has denied a petition to modify the label for low-dose topical (vaginal) estrogen products? 😱 The petition, submitted by the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) and the Working Group on Women’s Health and Well-Being in Menopause, asked the FDA to remove the box warning and highlight the benefits and risks of these products for treating symptoms of genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) 🙏 GSM is a common condition that affects many postmenopausal people, causing dryness, itching, burning, and pain during sex. It can also increase the risk of urinary tract infections and genital infections 😖 Low-dose topical estrogen products are effective and safe for treating GSM, with minimal absorption into the bloodstream and no increased risk of breast or endometrial cancer, cardiovascular disease, blood clot, stroke, or mortality, according to stacks of research 🙌 However, the FDA rejected the petition, saying that all estrogen products will have the same class labeling and that the lowest effective doses should be prescribed for the shortest duration 🤦♀️ NAMS and many women’s health advocates are disappointed by this decision, as they believe that the box warning unnecessarily frightens people and keeps them from much-needed treatment 😔 NAMS continues to push for more awareness and education about GSM and low-dose topical estrogen products, as well as more research and funding for this neglected condition 💪 If you or someone you know suffers from GSM, talk to your local menopause provider about your treatment options and don’t let the fear of hormones stop you from getting relief 💗 #menopause #gsm #gusm #vaginalhealth #estrogen #hormonetherapy #womenshealth #nams #fda #petition #awareness #education #research #funding #relief #wellbeing #menopausematters Source: https://lnkd.in/gDdjsvY8