Please review ACOG Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Menopause-Related Vasomotor, Sleep, and Mood Symptoms [PubMed Abstract] [Full-Text HTML] [Full-Text PDF]. Obstet Gynecol. 2026 Nov 1;148(5):e345-e369. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000006428.
Today, I review, link to, and post “Your Questions About Menopause” From The New York Times’ article New Guidelines Strongly Support Hormone Therapy for Common Menopause Symptoms. Maggie Astor
All that follows is from “Your Questions About Menopause”.
What are perimenopause and menopause?
Perimenopause is the final years of a woman’s reproductive years that leads up to menopause, the end of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Menopause begins one year after a woman’s final menstrual period.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
The symptoms of menopause can begin during perimenopause and continue for years. Among the most common are hot flashes, depression, genital and urinary symptoms, brain fog and other neurological symptoms, and skin and hair issues. Here’s a head-to-toe guide to the midlife transition.
How can I find some relief from these symptoms?
A low-dose birth control pill can control bleeding issues and ease night sweats during perimenopause. Avoiding alcohol and caffeine can reduce hot flashes, while cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation can make them more tolerable. Menopausal hormone therapy and the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor paroxetine can also ease some symptoms.
What is Veozah?
Veozah is the first nonhormonal medication to treat hot flashes in menopausal women; it was recently approved by the F.D.A. The drug targets a neuron in the brain that becomes unbalanced as estrogen levels fall. It might be particularly helpful for women over 60 because, at that age, starting hormonal treatments can be considered risky.
How long does perimenopause last?
Perimenopause usually begins in a woman’s 40s and can last for four to eight years. The average age of menopause is 51, but for some it starts a few years before or later. The symptoms can last for a decade or more, and at least one symptom — vaginal dryness — may never get better.
What is primary ovarian insufficiency?
The condition refers to when their ovaries stop functioning before the age of 40; it can affect women in their teens and 20s. In some cases the ovaries may intermittently “wake up” and ovulate, meaning that some women with primary ovarian insufficiency may still get pregnant.
Fact, or fiction?
We asked gynecologists, endocrinologists, urologists and other experts about the biggest menopause misconceptions they had encountered. Here’s what they want patients to know.
