Important takeaways from North American Menopause Society meeting

Research presented at the North American Menopause Society annual meeting, which recently wrapped up in Philadelphia, has offered recommendations on which women should receive hormone therapy for the condition, managing weight gain and other important developments associated with all the stages of menopause.

To help primary care physicians manage their female patients experiencing this condition, Healio Family Medicine compiled some of the meeting’s highlights, as well as some other recent research on women’s health topics that you might have missed. – by Janel Miller

CVD screening vital for perimenopausal women with PCOS

PHILADELPHIA — Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, and, therefore, women with the syndrome should be screened at a younger age than health women, according to a presenter at the Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society. Read more.

VIDEO: North American Menopause Society Position Statement: Individualized hormone therapy recommended in menopause

PHILADELPHIA - In this video exclusive, JoAnn V. Pinkerton, MD, NCMP, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia and executive director of The North American Menopause Society, reviews the Society’s 2017 Hormone Therapy Position Statement. For women aged younger than 60 years or within 10 years of menopause, hormone therapy is safe and effective for relieving hot flushes and night sweats, improving sleep and preventing osteoporosis and fractures, according to the statement. Watch video.

Hot flush frequency, severity diminish with NK3R antagonist

PHILADELPHIA — Neurokinin-3 receptor antagonism — an experimental therapy exploiting an important mediator in hot flushes — may prove to be an effective alternative to hormone therapy for women with this common menopausal symptom, according to data presented at the Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society. Read more.

VIDEO: Menopausal weight gain best tackled with behavioral approaches

PHILADELPHIA — Many women struggle with the accelerated weight gain that occurs during the menopause transition, according to Rebecca C. Thurston, PhD.

In this video exclusive, Thurston, who is professor of psychiatry, clinical and translational science, epidemiology and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, where she runs the women’s biobehavioral health laboratory, reviews strategies for managing weight in midlife. Watch video.

Targeted cognitive-behavioral therapy alleviates insomnia, depressive symptoms in midlife women

PHILADELPHIA — Women participating in a cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention aimed at reducing menopausal hot flashes and insomnia reported improved sleep and a decline in severity of depressive symptoms, according to findings from two studies presented at the Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society. Read more.

Many women reluctant to use postmenopausal hormone therapy

PHILADELPHIA — U.S. women attending a community health fair expressed skepticism about hormone therapy and reported that they preferred to treat hot flashes and other bothersome menopause symptoms with alternative options, according to a study presented at the Annual Meeting of the North American Menopause Society. Read more.

Greater uterine fibroid, embolization awareness needed

Fifty-seven percent of U.S. women do not think they are at risk for developing uterine fibroids, according to a recently released survey commissioned by the Society of Interventional Radiology. Read more.

USPSTF releases draft recommendations on cervical cancer screening

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued a draft recommendation on cervical cancer that states women aged 21 to 29 years should be screened with cytology (also known as a Pap test) every 3 years. The task force also stated that women aged 30 to 65 years should receive either screening with the Pap test every 3 years or the high-risk HPV test every 5 years. Read more.

Rise of HCV among reproductive-age women suggests need for screening

A recent substantial increase in hepatitis C virus infection among reproduction-aged women in the U.S. highlights a need for routine HCV screening during pregnancy, according to recent data published in Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more.

ACP issues guidelines to reduce fracture risk in women with osteoporosis

The ACP released an updated evidence-based clinical practice guideline strongly recommending that physicians treat women with osteoporosis with denosumab or bisphosphonates, such as alendronate, risedronate or zoledronic acid, to reduce fracture risk. Read more.