The Opportunity is Now to Better Treat Menopausal Patients

Women spend approximately 40% of their lives in the perimenopausal and postmenopausal stages of life, but the symptoms of menopause, which can drastically affect quality of life, often go untreated or undertreated. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s recent decision to remove most black box warnings on menopausal hormone therapies opens the door for clinicians to have conversations with patients and improve care for women as they experience perimenopause and transition through menopause and beyond.

In a new Perspective piece published in JAMA, co-authors discuss the implications and opportunities of the FDA’s decision, which is based on extensive research over the last two decades. The authors call for:

• Improvements in menopause education, symptom recognition, and treatment access for patients
• Better screening by clinicians for the varied presentations of menopause symptoms 
• Actively asking patients at risk about potential symptoms, instead of relying on patients to bring up this up
• Discussions with patients about the pros and cons of different delivery options, such as oral, transdermal, vaginal, and intrauterine delivery

“We have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to improve how we educate clinicians and how we care for our patients, especially in light of robust evidence and research findings,” said lead author Deborah Bartz, MD, MPH, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mass General Brigham. “Talking to patients about their experiences and screening for symptoms can lead to personalized and shared decision-making that can improve quality of life for women.”

Paper cited: Bartz D et al. “Opportunity for Improved Menopausal Hormone Therapy Prescribing” JAMA DOI: 10.1001/jama.2026.1891

Authorship: In addition to Bartz, co-authors include Ananya Tadikonda and JoAnn E. Manson.

Disclosures: Manson reported receipt of grants from the National Institutes of Health.