REDLINC: two decades of collaborative insights into menopause and women's health in Latin America.

Abstract

The Collaborative Group for Research of the Climacteric in Latin America (REDLINC) was established 20 years ago and comprises physicians who specialize in menopause medicine to acquire local information and understand the health needs of our population. Since then, 12 collaborative multinational studies have been conducted. Some of our most relevant results are the average age of menopause in Latin America (48.6 years), and the significant impact on quality of life, metabolic syndrome, sleep issues, sexual dysfunction, anxiety, depression, muscle pain, low muscle mass and mild cognitive decline. Also, we report variations in menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) prescriptions, noting that the tendency to prescribe is stronger among physicians themselves than toward patients. Finally, several factors contribute to the prevention, alleviation and treatment of menopausal changes in women, such as obesity control, exercise, higher education, utilization of MHT and seeking help from menopause practitioners. This article highlights the gathered information on Latin American women, which has been implemented for patients' better understanding. Physicians' awareness has grown, protocols have been adapted to accommodate our healthcare realities and patients are seeking menopause healthcare practitioners. International collaboration is key to the success of this project.