Menopause is a major health milestone, yet health records barely track it - new research
Many aspects of menopause, and the diversity in women’s experiences with it, remain poorly understood.
Menopause, a natural transition in midlife, can significantly impact a person's quality of life and future health risks. However, health records often fail to capture this crucial information, according to new research. In a study of almost 240,000 women's electronic medical records, only 12% mentioned menopause, despite more than half of the women reporting separately that they were experiencing it.
This significant gap in documenting basic health information about women's health could hinder research and personalized healthcare. The study, published in the journal Menopause, analyzed data from a broader group of 400,000 participants in the All of Us Research Program, a nationwide study by the National Institutes of Health.
The researchers found discrepancies between participants' reports of menopause and the information in their medical records. Age at menopause, symptoms, and variations in experiences were largely absent from the records. While menopause is not a disease, its impact on health can be substantial, affecting risks of heart disease, osteoporosis, and other issues.
The researchers suggest that simple questionnaires and computer-based methods could help better capture and record menopause data in medical records, enabling better healthcare and research for women in midlife.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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