Dr. Heidi Queen, MD | Energize Health & Hormones

For years, conversations about menopause have focused almost exclusively on hormones. While hormone therapy can be an incredibly valuable treatment for many women, it is only one piece of a much larger picture. A recently highlighted study by menopause expert and OB/GYN Dr. Jen Gunter is taking a fresh approach by asking an important question:

What happens when women receive truly comprehensive, evidence-based medical care throughout the menopause transition? It’s a simple question—but one that has surprisingly never been thoroughly studied.

Menopause Is More Than the End of Periods

The menopause transition represents a significant shift in a woman’s overall health. Beyond hot flashes and night sweats, this stage of life is associated with changes that can affect cardiovascular health, metabolism, sleep, body composition, and long-term wellness.

Researchers have long observed that during late perimenopause and early menopause many women experience:

• An increase in abdominal and visceral fat, even without major weight gain
• Rising LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and other cardiovascular risk markers
• Increased blood pressure and changes in blood vessel function
• Poorer sleep quality
• Loss of lean muscle mass
• Reduced physical activity and energy levels

These changes often happen quietly, making them easy to overlook until they begin affecting overall health. While declining estrogen certainly plays a role, researchers now recognize that the biology of menopause is far more complex. Fluctuating hormone levels, changes in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), shifting androgen-to-estrogen balance, aging, sleep disruption, and changes in metabolism all appear to contribute.

A Different Way of Looking at Menopause

Rather than asking whether one treatment solves everything, investigators are asking a broader—and perhaps more important—question: What if women received the preventive medical care they actually need during this critical stage of life?

The study, “Focusing on the Menopausal Transition to Improve Mid-Life Women’s Health,” is designed to evaluate approximately 200 women over two years to see what happens when comprehensive, guideline-based care becomes the standard rather than the exception.

Instead of concentrating on symptoms alone, researchers will assess each participant’s overall health and recommend individualized care based on current medical guidelines. Participants will receive:

• Comprehensive menopause evaluations
• Laboratory testing
• Cardiovascular assessments, including vascular function testing
• Activity and sleep monitoring using a Fitbit
• Monthly telehealth follow-up visits

• Ongoing individualized recommendations

Depending on each woman’s needs, care may include lifestyle changes, treatment for elevated cholesterol or blood pressure, weight-management strategies (including medications such as metformin or semaglutide when appropriate), and menopause treatments such as hormone therapy or non-hormonal options like fezolinetant for women who qualify.

Closing the Gap Between Research and Real-World Care

One of the most compelling aspects of this study is its recognition that medicine already has many effective tools to help women navigate midlife—we simply don’t use them consistently. Too often, menopause care becomes focused on managing hot flashes while overlooking other health changes that deserve equal attention, including heart health, metabolic health, sleep quality, muscle preservation, and diabetes risk.

Researchers hope this study will demonstrate that treating menopause as an opportunity for preventive medicine—not simply symptom management—can improve long-term health outcomes.

This Approach Reflects the Future of Women’s Health

At Energize Health & Hormones, this whole-person perspective is central to how we care for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. Rather than focusing on hormones alone, comprehensive menopause care considers the many factors influencing a woman’s health—from cardiovascular and metabolic risk to nutrition, exercise, sleep, body composition, and emotional well-being. Hormone therapy can be an important part of treatment for many women, but the best care starts by understanding the entire picture and creating a personalized plan based on each woman’s unique needs.

Studies like this help reinforce what many menopause specialists have recognized for years: women deserve proactive, individualized healthcare during this important transition.

Interested in Participating?

The study is currently enrolling women who meet the following criteria:

• Ages 45–55
• In late perimenopause (at least 60 days between menstrual periods, but less than one year without a period)
• Not currently using hormone therapy or hormonal contraception
• Have a uterus and at least one ovary
• Have access to a smartphone and broadband internet for telehealth visits

The study will ultimately include research sites at the University of Colorado, the University of North Carolina, and Virginia Commonwealth University. To learn more about the study or inquire about participation, visit:

Study information: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07017907

You may also contact:

University of Colorado
Carrie Hsu
carrie.hsu@cuanschutz.edu

University of North Carolina
Makayla Sweeney
REI_Research@med.unc.edu

Whether or not you qualify for this research, the study serves as an encouraging reminder that menopause is not something women simply have to “get through.” With comprehensive, evidence-based care, this stage of life can become an opportunity to protect long-term health, reduce future risk, and continue feeling your best for decades to come.