Sources

Additional web sources (checked October 2026)#

Health authorities and regulators

• World Health Organization. Menopause fact sheet (opens in a new tab), 16 October 2024.
• World Health Organization. Physical activity fact sheet (opens in a new tab), 26 June 2024.
• US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves Labeling Changes to Menopausal Hormone Therapy Products (opens in a new tab), 12 February 2026.
• US Food and Drug Administration. FDA Approves Novel Drug to Treat Moderate to Severe Hot Flashes Caused by Menopause (opens in a new tab) (fezolinetant), 12 May 2023.
• UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. HRT: further information on the known increased risk of breast cancer (opens in a new tab), Drug Safety Update.
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Menopause: identification and management (NG23), recommendations (opens in a new tab).
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. NG23 resource impact summary, November 2024 update (opens in a new tab).
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Draft updated guideline recommends more treatment choices for menopause symptoms (opens in a new tab), 17 November 2023.
• NHS Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. Contraception and menopause (opens in a new tab) (summarising FSRH guidance).

Medical societies

• The North American Menopause Society. The 2022 hormone therapy position statement (opens in a new tab). Menopause 2022;29(7):767–794.
• Highlights from the 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement (opens in a new tab), Let's Talk Menopause.

Peer-reviewed research and summaries

• Pinkerton JV, et al. Elinzanetant for the Treatment of Vasomotor Symptoms Associated With Menopause: OASIS 1 and 2 Randomized Clinical Trials (opens in a new tab). JAMA 2024;332(16):1343–1354.
• Finkelstein JS, et al. Bone Mineral Density Changes during the Menopause Transition in a Multiethnic Cohort of Women (opens in a new tab). J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2008.
• NIHR Evidence. Risk of breast cancer with HRT depends on therapy type and duration (opens in a new tab), summarising Vinogradova Y, et al., BMJ 2020;371:m3873.

Professional and news reporting on the above

• Healio. OASIS: Nonhormonal elinzanetant improves hot flashes, menopause-related quality of life (opens in a new tab), 22 August 2024.
• AJMC. FDA approves elinzanetant, a hormone-free option for hot flashes in menopause (opens in a new tab), 24 October 2025.
• Associated Press via OPB. The FDA removes a long-standing warning from hormone-based menopause drugs (opens in a new tab), 10 November 2025.
• American Council on Exercise. WHO releases new guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behavior (opens in a new tab).
• GP Notebook. Reference range (FSH) (opens in a new tab), summarising NICE diagnosis guidance.

Sources added in the October 2026 content review#

In October 2026 the guide was reviewed so that its medical statements rest on guidelines and published research rather than on any single clinician's interviews. These sources were added in that review, each checked against the statement it supports.

• ACOG guidance, summarised by The ObG Project (opens in a new tab) (obgproject.com). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• AHA News: Women and Black adults wait longer to be seen in the ER for chest pain (2022) (opens in a new tab) (heart.org). Cited in: When to See a Doctor (and How to Get Heard).
• American Academy of Dermatology (opens in a new tab) (aad.org). Cited in: Hot Flashes and Beyond.
• American Heart Association: Heart attack symptoms in women (opens in a new tab) (heart.org). Cited in: When to See a Doctor (and How to Get Heard).
• American Heart Association: How much sugar is too much? (opens in a new tab) (heart.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Anderson et al., 2020 (opens in a new tab) (discovery.ucl.ac.uk). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Avis et al., 2015 (opens in a new tab) (jamanetwork.com). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline.
• Beasley et al., 2010 (opens in a new tab) (hmpgloballearningnetwork.com). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• BioNumbers, Harvard Medical School (opens in a new tab) (bionumbers.hms.harvard.edu). Cited in: Menopause, Decoded.
• BMC Endocrine Disorders, 2025 (opens in a new tab) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Cited in: Hot Flashes and Beyond.
• BMJ, 2025 (opens in a new tab) (bmjgroup.com). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive, Where the Experts Disagree.
• Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (opens in a new tab) (bonehealthandosteoporosis.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• bpac^nz: Premature ovarian insufficiency (2019) (opens in a new tab) (bpac.org.nz). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• British Menopause Society: Recommendations on HRT in menopausal women (consensus statement) (opens in a new tab) (thebms.org.uk). Cited in: Treatment Options, Myths vs Facts.
• Cache County Study, 2019 (opens in a new tab) (sciencedaily.com). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory.
• Cheung et al., 2021 (opens in a new tab) (ahro.austin.org.au). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• Chlebowski et al., 2020, summarised by AAFP (opens in a new tab) (aafp.org). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• Cholesterol Treatment Trialists' Collaboration, Lancet 2015 (opens in a new tab) (eprints.gla.ac.uk). Cited in: Your Heart Through the Change, Where the Experts Disagree.
• Cleveland Clinic: Perimenopause (opens in a new tab) (my.clevelandclinic.org). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline.
• DeFronzo et al., 1981 (opens in a new tab) (jci.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• EMAS position statement: The Mediterranean diet and menopausal health (Maturitas, 2020) (opens in a new tab) (emas-online.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Endocrine Society 2024 guideline, via The Hospitalist (opens in a new tab) (community.the-hospitalist.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Farquhar et al., 2005 (opens in a new tab) (researchspace.auckland.ac.nz). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline.
• Fawcett Society, via British Safety Council (opens in a new tab) (britsafe.org). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory.
• Global Consensus Position Statement, 2019 (opens in a new tab) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• Gold et al., 2013 (opens in a new tab) (academic.oup.com). Cited in: Menopause, Decoded, Your Menopause Timeline, Where the Experts Disagree.
• Gordon et al., 2018, via MGH Center for Women's Mental Health (opens in a new tab) (womensmentalhealth.org). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory, Where the Experts Disagree.
• Hale et al., 2009 (opens in a new tab) (scholars.duke.edu). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline, Where the Experts Disagree.
• Harvard Health: 4 essential nutrients, are you getting enough? (opens in a new tab) (health.harvard.edu). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (opens in a new tab) (nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu). Cited in: Your Heart Through the Change.
• Healio, 2026 (opens in a new tab) (healio.com). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive, Where the Experts Disagree.
• Healio: Hormone therapy may boost weight loss for postmenopausal women on semaglutide (2024) (opens in a new tab) (healio.com). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• healthdirect: AndroFeme 1 (opens in a new tab) (healthdirect.gov.au). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• Herber-Gast and Mishra, 2013 (opens in a new tab) (alimentazione.fimmg.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• HERS, JAMA 1998 (opens in a new tab) (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• Hill, 1996 (opens in a new tab) (pure.johnshopkins.edu). Cited in: Menopause, Decoded.
• House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee, 2022 (opens in a new tab) (publications.parliament.uk). Cited in: For Partners, Family and Friends.
• International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: creatine supplementation (2017) (opens in a new tab) (link.springer.com). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• ISSM: What are the types of female sexual dysfunction? (opens in a new tab) (issm.info). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• J Bone Metab, 2021 (opens in a new tab) (ucrisportal.univie.ac.at). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• J Orthop Surg, 2020 (opens in a new tab) (doaj.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Johns Hopkins Medicine: Intermittent fasting, what is it and how does it work? (opens in a new tab) (hopkinsmedicine.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• joint obesity medicine advisory, 2025 (opens in a new tab) (obesity.org). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• KEEPS trial, via Mayo Clinic (opens in a new tab) (newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Mayo Clinic News Network: Does menopause cause brain fog? (opens in a new tab) (newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory.
• Mayo Clinic News Network: Majority of midlife women with menopause symptoms do not seek care (2025) (opens in a new tab) (newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org). Cited in: When to See a Doctor (and How to Get Heard).
• Mayo Clinic: Male menopause, myth or reality? (opens in a new tab) (mayoclinic.org). Cited in: Menopause, Decoded.
• Mayo Clinic: Menopause, diagnosis and treatment (opens in a new tab) (mayoclinic.org). Cited in: When to See a Doctor (and How to Get Heard).
• Medicine Today, 2021 (opens in a new tab) (medicinetoday.com.au). Cited in: When to See a Doctor (and How to Get Heard).
• MedlinePlus: Early menopause and cancer treatment (opens in a new tab) (medlineplus.gov). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline.
• MedlinePlus: Fiber (opens in a new tab) (medlineplus.gov). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Menopause Review, 2014 (opens in a new tab) (termedia.pl). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Mishra et al., 2017 (opens in a new tab) (eprints.whiterose.ac.uk). Cited in: Menopause, Decoded.
• mSystems, 2022 (opens in a new tab) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Cited in: Hot Flashes and Beyond.
• NHS prescribing data, via The Pharmacist (opens in a new tab) (thepharmacist.co.uk). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• NHS: Benefits and risks of HRT (opens in a new tab) (nhs.uk). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• NHS: Early menopause (opens in a new tab) (nhs.uk). Cited in: When to See a Doctor (and How to Get Heard).
• NHS: Menopause, things you can do (opens in a new tab) (nhs.uk). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• NHS: Side effects of HRT (opens in a new tab) (nhs.uk). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• NHS: Symptoms of menopause (opens in a new tab) (nhs.uk). Cited in: Hot Flashes and Beyond.
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in a new tab) (ods.od.nih.gov). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (opens in a new tab) (ods.od.nih.gov). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Nutrients, 2021 (opens in a new tab) (doaj.org). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• OrthoInfo (AAOS): Frozen shoulder (opens in a new tab) (orthoinfo.org). Cited in: Hot Flashes and Beyond.
• Paul et al., 2019 (opens in a new tab) (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• perimenopausal depression guidelines, summarised by the Australasian Menopause Society (opens in a new tab) (menopause.org.au). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory, Where the Experts Disagree.
• PROT-AGE, 2013 (opens in a new tab) (researchexperts.utmb.edu). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive, Where the Experts Disagree.
• Reynolds et al., Lancet 2019, via TCTMD (opens in a new tab) (tctmd.com). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Shitomi-Jones et al., 2024 (opens in a new tab) (orca.cardiff.ac.uk). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory.
• Spiegel et al., 1999, via UChicago (opens in a new tab) (chronicle.uchicago.edu). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Stanford Medicine: Fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity, lowers inflammation (2021) (opens in a new tab) (med.stanford.edu). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• TGA: Updated contraception advice for Mounjaro (tirzepatide) (opens in a new tab) (tga.gov.au). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• The Menopause Society 2022, via MDedge (opens in a new tab) (mdedge.com). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• The Menopause Society: 2022 hormone therapy position statement (press release) (opens in a new tab) (menopause.org). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• The Menopause Society: Lack of menopause education for residents (press release) (opens in a new tab) (menopause.org). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• The North American Menopause Society: 2023 nonhormone therapy position statement (opens in a new tab) (depts.washington.edu). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory, Treatment Options, Where the Experts Disagree.
• The Pharmacist: UK consensus on exercise for osteoporosis (2022) (opens in a new tab) (thepharmacist.co.uk). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Toth et al., 2000 (opens in a new tab) (nature.com). Cited in: Your Heart Through the Change.
• UCL News: Women are 40% more likely to experience depression during perimenopause (2024) (opens in a new tab) (ucl.ac.uk). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory.
• UCLA Health: Menopause transition may cause trouble learning (opens in a new tab) (uclahealth.org). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline.
• University of Michigan: Prolonged and heavy bleeding during menopause is common (opens in a new tab) (news.umich.edu). Cited in: Hot Flashes and Beyond.
• University of Michigan: Women who enter the menopausal transition early should expect symptoms to persist longer (opens in a new tab) (news.umich.edu). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline, Where the Experts Disagree.
• US Pharmacist: Shifts in US women's hormone therapy use (opens in a new tab) (uspharmacist.com). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• US Preventive Services Task Force (opens in a new tab) (uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org). Cited in: Mood, Mind and Memory, Myths vs Facts, Where the Experts Disagree.
• USDA Economic Research Service: Chart of Note on fibre intake (opens in a new tab) (ers.usda.gov). Cited in: Eat, Move, Thrive.
• Wallace and Kelsey, 2010 (opens in a new tab) (arxiv.org). Cited in: Menopause, Decoded.
• WHI, JAMA 2002 (opens in a new tab) (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). Cited in: Treatment Options.
• Wright et al., Climacteric 2024 (opens in a new tab) (scholars.duke.edu). Cited in: Hot Flashes and Beyond.
• Yasui et al., 2022 (opens in a new tab) (jamanetwork.com). Cited in: Your Menopause Timeline.

Studies and surveys mentioned in this guide (such as the WHI, SWAN, the Cochrane review and the UK Fawcett Society survey) are reported as described within the original sources or the web sources listed above.

This guide is for general information only and is not a substitute for personalised advice from a doctor or other qualified health professional.