Senate Aging Committee Holds First-Ever Hearing On Menopause, Which Affects About 50% Of Americans During Their Lives

Watch the full hearing below:

Readers should know that, while this hearing was very helpful, it had a heavy allopathic focus, where the front lines of defense are hormone replacement therapy medications.  There are other ways to treat the condition that do not involve pills or gels.  It has been found, for example, that the following types of diets may reduce the symptoms and their severity, especially night sweats:

• Plant-based Diet / Vegan
• Mediterranean Diet 
• Plant-Forward Pescatarian

As one of the witnesses testified, with regard to changes that women have found helpful, there are a lot of simple things that people can do to make their experience easier.

They are always going to need to exercise and have a well-balanced diet.  Whole foods, home-cooked meals, plant-based or plant-forward eating were mentioned as having helped many women to overcome their symptoms.  There are studies that show that hot flashes and the other more well-known symptoms can be largely alleviated by eating more plant-based meals, especially containing cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, bok choi, kale of all kinds, and some other foods as well.  Eating a variety of colors, such as fruits as well as vegetables, can also be greatly helpful at this phase of a woman’s life.  It should be noted that the recent issues with the lettuces and certain blueberries made many people nervous about having any fruits at all from the supermarket, when they are some of the most helpful things out there.  

In addition, there are herbs that some women have found to be helpful in managing the symptoms of peri-menopause and menopause.  Case studies and patient experiences have shown that the following can be helpful in managing the symptoms, in addition to the dietary changes above:

• Dong Quai
• Red Raspberry
• Red clover

Each of the above has been shown in smaller research studies, meta analyses,  and patient groups to be helpful in rebalancing a woman’s hormones.  Specifically they reduce symptoms of night sweats and vaginal dryness.  They are identified as phytoestrogens, and each of the supplements above, while not mentioned individually, is high in phytoestrogens. Each of them has also been used for hundreds of years in the childbearing years as well, with different and potentially beneficial effects after the production of estrogen has slowed and stopped.  

As several of the witnesses testified, there are many symptoms that are not recognized; perhaps they are less common, but they are still part of this change.  Irregular, unexpected, and heavy bleeding, frequent recurring urinary tract infections despite good hygiene, and pain during intercourse leading to abstinence are all things that occur in a significant percentage of women going through the possibly four to ten years of peri-menopause

It should also be noted that if you are thinking of trying any of the methods above, particularly diet changes, it might be helpful to consult with a nutritionist.  Every Medicare recipient is allotted two annual nutritionist visits.  Herbologists are harder to find and are an out of pocket cost, but such a practitioner could be helpful in suggesting other herbal remedies.  It does sometimes take trial and error, and it can also take longer for herbs to work, weeks or months instead of days. 

*Persons interested in trying these remedies are encouraged to research on their own or consult a qualified practitioner; this does not constitute medical advice. 

GILLIBRAND HOLDS FIRST EVER CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON MENOPAUSE

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rick Scott (R-FL), ranking member and chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, held the first ever congressional hearing on menopause. At the hearing, expert witnesses testified about the urgent need to improve menopause research, training, and care.

Additionally, Gillibrand and Scott made a bipartisan request to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate how the federal government currently coordinates and funds menopause research and care.

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“Menopause impacts over half of our population, and the fact that Congress has never held a hearing on it is absolutely disgraceful,” said Senator Gillibrand. “Today’s hearing was a critical step toward getting this issue front and center so that we can find the best ways to improve research, training, and care for women experiencing menopause. I am committed to working with all of my colleagues—men and women, Democrats and Republicans—to meet the moment on menopause.”

Menopause is one of the most under-researched, undertreated, and underdiagnosed fields of medicine. Women in midlife make up about a third of the U.S. population. However, less than 1% of federal women’s health research funding is allocated to menopause. Additionally, 80% of OB-GYN residents admit to being ill-prepared to discuss menopause—meaning that women who seek medical care for symptoms of menopause are often left untreated.

The lack of treatment for menopause also has massive economic implications. A study by the Mayo Clinic found that menopause costs the U.S. economy $26.6 billion per year, including $1.8 billion in lost work time alone. One in ten women leave the workforce because of menopause, taking decades of knowledge and experience with them.

Gillibrand and Scott’s bipartisan letter to GAO requests a report on the federal government’s role in menopause care and research. This report will help us better understand remaining gaps in menopause-related research, education, and treatment, and what the federal government can do to address these gaps. The text of the letter can be found here.

SENATE AGING COMMITTEE RANKING MEMBER GILLIBRAND, CHAIRMAN SCOTT TO HOLD FIRST EVER CONGRESSIONAL HEARING ON MENOPAUSE

Read the New York Times’ Preview of the Hearing Here

Washington, D.C. – TODAY, Wednesday, September 16, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Rick Scott (R-FL), ranking member and chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, will hold the first ever congressional hearing on menopause.

Menopause is one of the most under-researched, undertreated, and underdiagnosed fields of medicine. The hearing, titled “Half the Country, Zero Hearings: Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America,” will shed light on the urgent need to improve menopause research, training, and care.

Women in midlife make up about a third of the U.S. population. However, less than 1% of federal women’s health research funding is allocated to menopause. Additionally, 80% of OB-GYN residents admit to being ill-prepared to discuss menopause—meaning that women who seek medical care for symptoms of menopause are often left untreated.

Witnesses for the hearing will include:

• Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, Dean and SUNY Distinguished Professor, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY
• Lynne M. Coslett-Charlton, MD, MSCP, FACOG, Gynecologist, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Shavertown, PA
• Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, JD, Executive Director, Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU Law, New York, NY
• Suzanne Silverman Fenske, MD, FACOG, ABOIM, MSCP, Double Board-Certified Gynecologist, Founder, TaraMD, New York, NY

Banner Image: Hearing still. Image Credit – US Senate