Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society最新文献

{"title":"Regional disparities and metabolic determinants of type 2 diabetes in women aged 55 and older.","authors":"Kexin Zhang, Chengxia Kan, Wei Xu, Fang Han, Ningning Hou, Tianpeng Zheng, Xuan Li, Xiaodong Sun, Ying Xue","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002797","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002797","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To assess long-term trends, regional disparities, determinants, and quality of care for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) among women aged 55 years or above worldwide.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using Global Burden of Disease 2023 data, we quantified incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to T2DM among women aged 55 years or above from 1990 to 2023. Temporal trends were evaluated using joinpoint regression. Regional determinants were identified through explainable machine learning models (XGBoost with Shapley Additive Explanations). A Quality-of-Care Index, derived from mortality, disability, and prevalence indicators, was constructed to evaluate health care performance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 2023, South Asia recorded the largest absolute burden of T2DM among women aged 55 years or above, with 749,064 cases (95% uncertainty intervals [UI] 592,209-892,315), 274,542 deaths (171,620-381,640), and 8.11 million DALYs (5.82-10.43 million), followed by East Asia and high-income North America. From 1990 to 2023, Eastern Europe exhibited the steepest long-term increases in age-standardized incidence, mortality, and DALYs rates, with an average annual percent change of 2.49% for incidence and 3.97% for mortality. Mortality and DALYs burdens peaked among women aged 65-69 years. Across regions, high fasting plasma glucose, high body mass index, and low physical activity were the leading contributors to disease burden. Distinct regional risk patterns were observed, including air pollution in Asia, unhealthy dietary patterns in high-income North America, sedentary behavior in Oceania, and alcohol use in South Asia. Lower Quality-of-Care Index scores were strongly associated with higher mortality and DALYs rates, highlighting substantial inequities in diabetes care.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The escalating burden of T2DM among women aged 55 years or older reflects interactions between biological aging and metabolic, behavioral, and environmental risks. Age-targeted prevention, improved care quality, and mitigation of modifiable exposures are critical to reduce diabetes-related disability globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biological markers of aging across the menopause transition: current evidence.","authors":"Regina Castaneda, Erin R Uddenberg, Maria D Hurtado Andrade, Jesse L Meek, Kaylin N Frankhouser, Stephanie S Faubion, Eduardo N Chini, Nathan K LeBrasseur, Pamila K Brar, Chrisandra L Shufelt","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002802","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002802","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance and objective: </strong>Aging is a complex biological process uniquely shaped in women by hormonal transitions, particularly across the menopause transition. While chronological age alone fails to capture individual health variability, emerging molecular biomarkers offer tools to quantify biological aging and understand mechanisms underlying age-related decline. This review synthesizes the current landscape of aging biomarkers, including senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors, epigenetic clocks, clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential, and telomere length, with a particular emphasis on their relevance to menopause.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This narrative review synthesizes human studies, translational research, and foundational basic science identified through PubMed searches through June 2025, examining aging biomarkers in general populations, among women in the menopause transition, and in relation to vasomotor symptoms and hormone therapy.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusion: </strong>Evidence demonstrates that changes in biological aging biomarkers are observed across multiple molecular systems during midlife, including the menopause transition, reflecting broader age-related biological remodeling. Postmenopausal status, particularly following early or surgical menopause, has been associated with biological aging phenotypes, including elevated senescence-associated secretory phenotype factors, epigenetic age acceleration, clonal hematopoiesis, and shorter leukocyte telomere length, likely reflecting a combination of chronological aging, hormonal changes, and individual biological vulnerability. While severe vasomotor symptoms have been linked to higher epigenetic age, hormone therapy may favorably influence certain senescence markers and biological age discrepancy. Despite these advances, significant limitations constrain clinical translation, as current biomarkers capture overlapping biological processes and lack validated thresholds to define biological aging, especially in women. Future research requires large, longitudinal studies across diverse populations to establish clinically meaningful thresholds and sex-specific calibration. Advancing precision health strategies for women requires a better understanding of how reproductive and hormonal factors modify biomarker trajectories to improve risk prediction and to facilitate the development of targeted interventions for age-related diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Silent suffering: an exploration of menopausal attitudes and experiences among slum dwellers.","authors":"Shaizy Ahmed, Nikita Kushwaha","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002810","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002810","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and lived experiences during the peri and postmenopausal phases among women slum dwellers in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This qualitative study comprised 35 women slum dwellers aged between 40 and 64 years who had experienced menopause in the previous 5 years. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis after an iterative approach to understand the knowledge, attitudes, and lived experiences of women. The identified themes were further compared and discussed with the help of available literature to draw significant conclusions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study unveiled the misery of women slum dwellers during the perimenopausal and postmenopausal stages in terms of sociocultural constraints, accessibility of services, information, and health-seeking behaviors. Attitudinal variations were also observed; the majority of women enjoyed this phase and viewed it as a sign of freedom from pain and mental liberation. In contrast, women also felt upset by viewing it as an end to their femininity and womanhood. Medical implications are generally ignored by these women despite experiencing a range of physical, emotional, and psychological changes. Those seeking medical support are vulnerable in terms of receiving the right information and guidance, making them further stigmatized for adopting traditional unsafe practices. Government policies also neglect women's health during menopause. All these factors lead to the creation of a vicious circle during menopause.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Breaking the culture of silence surrounding menopause empowers women to make their own decisions. If they are treated inappropriately, it may lead to severe health consequences. The findings underscore the critical need to design culturally appropriate, gender-sensitive, and community-oriented health education programs, along with improved access to menopausal health services, especially for women belonging to marginalized groups. A focused intervention with an integrated approach is substantially needed to improve menopausal health, along with providing the right information and encouraging healthy behavioral practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Report of the FDA's expert panel on hormone therapy.","authors":"JoAnn V Pinkerton, James A Simon, Howard N Hodis, Mary Jane Minkin, JoAnn E Manson, Barbara Levy","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002768","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The FDA convened an expert panel on July 17, 2025, to review evidence on the benefits and risks of menopausal hormone therapy. Members of The Menopause Society who served on the expert panel summarize the meeting, including panelists' presentations and future directions. The FDA selected a multidisciplinary group of researchers and clinicians based on their expertise, clinical and academic credibility, leadership, and advocacy in caring for menopausal women's health. The panel emphasized the differences between systemic and local vaginal estrogen and the adverse effects of class labeling and the boxed warning, especially for local vaginal estrogen. The panel discussed differences in risk profiles between estrogen alone and estrogen combined with different types of progestogens, and the importance of formulation, route of administration, dosing, and timing of initiation. Following this discussion, a 60-day public commentary period, and an independent review of the literature, on November 10, 2025, the FDA recommended removing boxed warnings from estrogen therapies, with specific, nuanced considerations.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Menopausal symptom network differences between women with and without waist-to-height ratio-defined abdominal obesity.","authors":"Diya Wang, Feng Wang, Jiaqi Zheng, Xiaoxun Chen, Yunzhe Lei, Jing Su","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002794","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002794","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To compare the structure of menopausal symptom networks between women with and without abdominal obesity (AO), defined as waist-to-height ratio (WHtR).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional analysis included 1,150 women from visit 6 of the study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). AO was defined as a WHtR of ≥ 0.5. We adjusted for demographic and clinical differences by regressing each symptom score on covariates, and subsequently using the residualized symptom scores for network estimation. We used centrality indices and community structure analysis to characterize the networks, and applied the Network Comparison Test (NCT) to evaluate differences in network structure and global strength.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Women with AO reported higher prevalence and greater severity of several symptoms. Network density was marginally higher in the AO group (0.59; 46 of 78 edges) than in the non-AO group (0.55; 43 of 78 edges). The NCT revealed significant differences in network structure, whereas global strength remained comparable. Core symptoms differed by AO status: in the AO network, forgetfulness, irritability, and night sweats exhibited the highest centrality, whereas in the non-AO network, night sweats, palpitations, and depression demonstrated the highest centrality. In addition, symptom clusters also differed between the groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Women with AO exhibit both a higher prevalence and greater severity of symptoms, as well as a distinct symptom network structure. These findings highlight distinct symptom network profiles in women with AO, which may reflect different patterns of symptom interaction or underlying biological processes that warrant further investigation. Assessment of AO using WHtR may help stratify women who are likely to benefit from targeted, network-based interventions over isolated symptom management.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839861","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive behavioral therapy for menopausal insomnia in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with insomnia and nocturnal hot flashes: a randomized-controlled pilot trial.","authors":"Emily J Arentson-Lantz, Alexandria Muench, Manasa Kokonda, Jessica M Meers, Maria Swartz, Rachel Manber, Rebecca C Thurston, Sara Nowakowski","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002779","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002779","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The objective of this randomized-controlled pilot trial was to develop and test a cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for both insomnia and vasomotor symptoms (VMS) in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with insomnia disorder experiencing nocturnal vasomotor symptoms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-three participants (mean age = 53.6 y) self-described as perimenopausal or postmenopausal who reported at minimum ≥ 1 nocturnal hot flash/night and met diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder were randomized to cognitive behavioral therapy for menopausal insomnia (CBT-MI) or menopause education control (MEC). The CBT-I intervention was adapted for the study population by incorporating elements of CBT for menopausal symptoms. Primary outcomes measured at baseline, post-treatment measures, 1-month follow-up, and 3-month follow-up included: Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Sleep Self-Efficacy Scale (SES), and Hot Flash Daily Interference Scale (HFDIS).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CBT-MI compared with MEC significantly reduced ISI (CBT-MI vs. MEC: -10.2±1.15 vs. -6.2±0.99; P=0.007), HFDIS (CBT-MI vs. MEC: -1.3±0.29 vs. -0.5±0.17; P=0.01), and increased SES (10.2±1.46 vs. 5.9±1.24, P=0.03) post-treatment and 1-month after the end of treatment (ISI: CBT-MI vs. MEC, -10.9±1.19 vs. -6.5±0.98; P=0.003, HFRDIS: CBT-MI vs. MEC, -1.1±0.28 vs. -0.4±0.18, P=0.047, SES: CBT-MI vs. MEC, 11.9±2.06 vs. 5.6±1.25; P=0.003). Analysis of the ISI factors showed that CBT-MI significantly decreased night-time sleep symptoms and patient perception of insomnia at post-treatment and 1-month follow-up compared with MEC. Night-time sleep symptoms remained improved at 3-month follow-up compared with MEC.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this pilot study, a CBT intervention targeting both insomnia and VMS showed promising improvements in sleep and hot flash interference in midlife women.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Health perceptions, aging, and reproductive aging: observations from the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study.","authors":"Nancy Fugate Woods, Ellen Sullivan Mitchell","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002783","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002783","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objective: &lt;/strong&gt;Despite increased attention to symptoms experienced by women during the menopausal transition and early postmenopause and risk for disease development, for example, cardiovascular disease and dementia, few investigators have examined women's self-ratings of their health during this part of the lifespan. Despite recent surges in interest in the menopausal transition, understanding how women experience their health during this period remains limited. Our aim was to identify the relationship of chronological aging and reproductive aging to midlife women's health perceptions using the multidimensional Health Perceptions Questionnaire (HPQ) administered on multiple occasions in the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study (SMWHS).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Participants from the population-based longitudinal SMWHS completed annual health questionnaires and menstrual calendars between 1990 and 2005 (N=261, 957 observations). Women's ages ranged from a mean of 41.6 (SD=4.3) to 53.1 (SD=3.1) years at baseline. Participants rated their health using the HPQ on 6 occasions: baseline (1990-1992), 12 and 24 months later, and in 1995, 2001, and 2005. Mean scale scores were calculated for current health, past health, health outlook, health concern/worry, and resistance to illness (possible range was 1-5). Reproductive aging stages were assessed using menstrual calendar and questionnaire data, applying Mitchell's (2000) criteria for reproductive aging and Staging Reproductive Aging (STRAW) criteria (2001, 2010). Multilevel modeling using mixed models analysis of linear models (SPSS 28) was employed to examine relationships of age and reproductive aging stages to repeated measures of health perceptions, including current health, past health, health outlook, health concern/worry, and resistance to illness.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Means for each of the health perceptions scales were above 3.0, the midpoint of the scales, indicating more positive than negative ratings of health. Aging was not significantly related to women's ratings of current health, past health, health outlook, health concern/worry, or resistance to illness. Reproductive aging was significantly related only to current health: women's ratings were significantly higher during the late reproductive stages (LRS1 mean=3.72, SD=0.10, and LRS2, mean=3.60, SD=0.05, P=0.013 and 0.035, respectively) and the early menopausal transition stage (mean=3.64, SD=0.05, P=0.006) than the late transition stage (mean=3.44, SD=0.09) or early postmenopause (mean=3.35, SD=0.10).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;SMWHS participants eligible for this study perceived their health as positive, regardless of age. Reproductive aging was influential only with respect to current health ratings: women rated their health significantly better during the late reproductive stages and early menopausal transition stages of reproductive aging than during the late menopausal transition stage and ","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Menopause symptoms and treatment in sexual minority women.","authors":"Juliana M Kling, Anna E Abraham, Akhila Nalla, Talia Sobel, Jennifer A Vencill, Kristin Cole, Stacey Winham, Ekta Kapoor, Stephanie S Faubion","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002807","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/GME.0000000000002807","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Sexual minority women (SMW) have worse mental and physical health outcomes compared with heterosexual women. Limited research has explored menopause in SMW. This study compared menopause symptoms in cisgender SMW and heterosexual women.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional analysis examined questionnaires from women 40-65 years, seen at women's health clinics in Arizona, Florida, and Minnesota between December 2016 and February 2023. Menopause symptoms were evaluated using the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS). An MRS score ≥ 12 indicates moderate or greater symptoms. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare scores between cisgender SMW and heterosexual women, adjusting for factors that may impact menopause symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data from 2,273 women were included, with 69 SMW. The mean age was 53.2 (SD: 6.1), body mass index 25.7 kg/m2, and a majority were White (91.9%). The median MRS score among all participants was 15 (interquartile range=10, 20); 67.3% reported MRS scores ≥ 12. The likelihood of being on hormone therapy or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors was comparable between groups. In both univariate (OR: 0.85, 95% CI: 0.52-1.40) and multivariable (OR: 0.83, 95% CI: 0.47-1.48) analyses, no significant associations between sexual orientation and MRS ≥ 12 were found.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Menopause symptoms and likelihood of treatment were similar for cisgender SMW and heterosexual women presenting to tertiary care centers. Limited diversity in the cohort and the small number of SMW reduce the generalizability of the results. The lack of adverse social determinants of health may have contributed to the findings, but additional research in larger cohorts is needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147839934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Actaea racemosa for relieving climacteric complaints.","authors":"Sophie Curtis, Amber Moore, Ian Breakspear","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002704","DOIUrl":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002704","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Importance: </strong>Black cohosh (BC) is a herbal medicine being prescribed for the management of climacteric complaints. This is the first review to assess the quality of evidence for BC as measured by adherence to Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) extensions for herbal interventions and harms.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Herbal medicines such as Actaea racemosa ( A. racemosa ; synonym Cimicifuga racemosa , BC) are commonly being used by women seeking relief from menopausal (climacteric) complaints. Our objective is to evaluate the quality of reporting of clinical trials investigating A. racemosa for climacteric complaints, by grading their adherence to both the CONSORT extensions for herbal interventions, and for reporting adverse events (harms).</p><p><strong>Evidence review: </strong>A systematic search of the databases: AMED, CINAHL, EBSCO, Academic Search Ultimate, Google Scholar, PubMed and Science Direct, was conducted in April 2023 and another search done March 2024. The search phrase employed included relevant herbal or herbal product keywords [\"black cohosh,\" \"actaea racemosa,\" \"cimicifuga racemosa,\" \"BNO 1055,\" \"remifemin,\" \"Ze 450\"] combined using the Boolean operator term AND with keywords regarding climacteric complaints [\"menopausal symptoms,\" \"menopause,\" \"climacteric complaints\"]. Additional citation searching was conducted to identify any other published studies. Articles were included if they were clinical trials of oral use of A. racemosa in humans. Quality assessment of included articles was undertaken to review adherence to the CONSORT Statement Extensions for reporting on herbal interventions, and harms (adverse events).</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Fourteen records were included in the final analysis. Adherence to the herbal extension for the CONSORT ranged between 39% and 87%, with four of them receiving an adherence rating of 50% or less. Adherence to the Harms Extension for the CONSORT ranged between 6% and 90%, with three of the articles receiving an adherence rating of 50% or less.</p><p><strong>Conclusions and relevance: </strong>This is the first time a systematic review of the quality of clinical trial reports of BC, using the CONSORT herbal extension and harms checklists, has been conducted. The wide range of ratings found in our quality assessment suggests the need for further high-quality investigation of this widely used herbal preparation.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":"624-631"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145768686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Menopausal hot flashes, night sweats, and insomnia disappeared with lamotrigine: a case report.","authors":"Eeva K Pitkänen, Arja I Jukkola, Hannu J Koponen","doi":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002710","DOIUrl":"10.1097/GME.0000000000002710","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Approximately 75% of women aged between 45 and 55 years suffer from symptoms of menopause. Hormone therapies used in breast cancer treatment can induce the same symptoms. Current medications for menopausal symptoms are not suitable for everyone. Here, we describe a case of a woman whose menopausal vasomotor symptoms decreased after starting lamotrigine.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We report a case of a woman whose menopausal vasomotor symptoms disappeared with lamotrigine and returned after stopping the medication. We did not find any reports of lamotrigine in regards to menopausal symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A 53-year-old woman with menopausal symptoms and migraine had tried different medications for migraine. She could not use estradiol 1 mg p.o. regularly, because it worsened her headache. Then, lamotrigine was started for the migraine as a preventive medication. Lamotrigine's official indication is epilepsy and bipolar disorder. It is also used off-label, for example, for migraine. In a few days the nighttime hot flashes, night sweats and sleeping problems disappeared. Then she developed a rash. Because the rash induced by lamotrigine can be severe, the medication had to be stopped. In 2 weeks, the menopausal symptoms returned.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Menopausal vasomotor symptoms disappeared with lamotrigine and returned after stopping the medicine in this case. The precise action mechanism(s) of lamotrigine is unknown. Lamotrigine has interactions with estrogen and progesterone medicines. So, this effect we describe might not have been just a coincidence. Lamotrigine could be worth further research in regards to menopausal symptoms.</p>","PeriodicalId":18435,"journal":{"name":"Menopause: The Journal of The North American Menopause Society","volume":" ","pages":"632-634"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145768726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}