National guidelines for menopause treatment on the way

Huge knowledge gaps around menopause and perimenopause are leaving doctors unable to help patients manage their symptoms but new clinical guidelines will aim to change that.

On World Menopause Day, the federal government announced it would open the tender process to develop the national guidelines to improve health outcomes for women in diagnosis, treatment and care.

Women typically enter menopause between 45 and 60 years of age and perimenopause - which precedes it - can start in their 30s and last up to 10 years.

Yet health professionals can lack confidence in advising patients how to appropriately manage symptoms, particularly in terms of menopausal hormone therapy.

This can lead to delays and inconsistencies in diagnosis and management and poorer health outcomes.

"While there is plenty of evidence-based information available on menopause, our aim is to provide consistent health professional education, awareness and support to improve diagnosis and clinical care," assistant health minister Rebecca White said.

"The development of national, evidence-based perimenopause and menopause guidelines will help medical professionals diagnose, treat and care for women earlier and in a consistent, holistic way."

The Australian Medical Association wants a national framework to set clear goals and treatment timelines to address the wide-ranging disparities affecting women's health.

President Danielle McMullen said perimenopause and menopause were not only critical life stages requiring better treatment but also key opportunities to identify women at increased risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and certain cancers.

Perimenopause is a transitional period before menopause when levels of oestrogen begin to decrease, bringing with it a range of symptoms.

A first-of-its-kind study of more than 5500 women by Monash University published in July examined similarities and differences in symptoms across the stages of menopause.

Almost 40 per cent of perimenopausal women in the study experienced debilitating hot flushes and night sweats.

The association says all women should have access to evidence-based support to determine the ways to manage symptoms and improve their health and lifestyle.

"Women carry a disproportionate burden of chronic disease throughout their lives yet face systemic barriers in accessing appropriate care and treatment," Dr McMullen said.

"We need properly funded services, evidence-based care and a health system that recognises women's specific and individual healthcare needs."

Dr McMullen also flagged a lack of gender-specific research and is calling for improved data collection, analysis and evaluation to help shape better policy and service delivery.

Women deserved access to affordable, timely, quality health care that recognises their unique needs, she said.

"For too long, medical research has excluded women or failed to analyse data by sex and gender.

"This knowledge gap has real consequences; treatments that may benefit women could be unavailable, while others may prove suboptimal."