Women's Health Radar

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 36 studies involving about 2.6 million women examined menopause caused by surgery or medical treatment. Compared with the study control groups, treatment-induced menopause was associated with higher rates of cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease and stroke. Excess cardiovascular and all-cause mortality was concentrated among women whose treatment-induced menopause occurred before age 45. These are associations across heterogeneous studies; the review cannot establish the effects of hormone therapy or an individual woman’s risk.

A retrospective study using the NIH All of Us program compared people starting GLP-1 receptor agonists with those starting SGLT2 inhibitors. Across the cohort, GLP-1 users had greater average weight loss at 12 months; the difference was more apparent in the study’s women than in its men. The comparison also varied by diabetes status. As an observational comparison of two drug classes, the findings cannot show that sex alone caused the difference or predict a person’s response to a particular medicine.

An analysis of 14,265 postmenopausal women in a Korean national survey found that self-reported chewing discomfort was associated with several metabolic measures, including triglycerides, HDL cholesterol and a triglyceride-glucose index. The measures do not amount to a diagnosis of insulin resistance, and the cross-sectional study cannot determine whether metabolic differences caused oral symptoms or vice versa. It does raise a practical question about how oral health can affect food choices in midlife.

In a randomized trial at 31 hospitals in the Netherlands, 593 patients with unexplained infertility and a good prognosis for natural conception were assigned to endometrial scratching or no procedure. Pregnancies leading to live birth occurred in 64% versus 57% of the analyzed groups, a difference that was not statistically significant; the per-protocol comparison was smaller. The trial enrolled fewer people than planned, leaving some uncertainty. These results apply to this defined population and should not be generalized to every fertility treatment setting.

A nationwide Korean cohort followed 10,178 women with PCOS undergoing a first fresh embryo transfer. Pre-treatment with insulin-sensitizing prescription therapy before ovarian stimulation was not associated with a clinically meaningful overall improvement in live birth or other pregnancy outcomes. Subgroup analyses suggested possible modest differences by age, treatment protocol and duration of use, but these require confirmation. This observational study does not settle whether insulin-sensitizing prescription therapy is useful for other PCOS indications.

A pragmatic randomized trial in the Netherlands assigned 5,170 adults receiving emergency care for undifferentiated chest pain to a prehospital risk-score strategy or usual care. The strategy met the trial’s safety threshold for unexpected serious events and reduced emergency department visits overall. Diagnoses of acute coronary syndrome and coronary angiography increased among women in exploratory analyses, but the sex interactions did not remain statistically significant after correction for multiple comparisons. This is a signal for further study, not proof of improved diagnosis specifically in women.

A review of seven randomized trials involving 513 women examined structured exercise during treatment with anthracyclines or anti-HER2 medicines. Only two trials could be combined for the main measures of heart pumping function and cardiac strain, and their results did not establish a consistent protective effect. Evidence was low certainty, with wide confidence intervals and no comparative clinical cardiovascular-event or survival outcomes. The conclusion is specific to cardiac protection during these treatments.

A secondary analysis of a randomized trial examined 124 breast-cancer survivors with complete data. Over 12 months, participants assigned to a remotely delivered exercise program showed slower change in two blood-based epigenetic-aging measures than those in a health and wellness comparison group. Changes in these markers were correlated with attention and self-reported cognition. The study did not establish that exercise extends life, prevents dementia or changes a person’s actual age.

A cross-sectional analysis of 9,717 White adults aged 20–90 examined age-related patterns in estimated bone, muscle, fat and intramuscular fat. Women showed distinct midlife changes in several measures, while intramuscular fat tended to rise with age in both sexes. Because participants were measured at one point in time, the study cannot show how any individual’s body composition changes or isolate menopause as the cause. The population and bioimpedance-based measurements also limit generalization.

The FDA held a public workshop on September 17 to examine the growing off-label use of testosterone therapy in menopausal women. Researchers and regulators discussed potential effects on sexual function, mood, cognition and musculoskeletal health, while highlighting major gaps in long-term safety data — particularly for cardiovascular and breast health. The meeting did not establish new treatment recommendations; its focus was on the evidence that exists and the questions that remain unanswered.

A new expert position statement from the Spanish Menopause Society reviewed the use of GLP-1 and related incretin therapies in peri- and postmenopausal women with overweight or obesity. Semaglutide currently has the most menopause-specific evidence, although the authors describe that evidence as still limited and largely observational. They emphasize that treatment should consider skeletal muscle, visceral fat, cardiovascular health, fracture risk, resistance exercise and adequate protein intake — not weight loss alone.

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated seven randomized trials involving 608 postmenopausal women. Creatine supplementation was associated with a small average increase in lean mass and improved leg-press strength, with the clearest results appearing when at least 5 grams per day was combined with resistance training. The analysis did not find an overall improvement in bone mineral density, and the authors noted limitations in the available evidence.

A systematic review and meta-analysis involving 22 randomized trials and 1,044 women with polycystic ovary syndrome found that exercise was associated with reductions in total and free testosterone, fasting insulin and insulin resistance, along with an increase in HDL cholesterol. The size of the effects varied according to exercise patterns and participant characteristics, reinforcing the need for individualized approaches.

An analysis of the Framingham Heart Study challenges the common assumption that the loss of estrogen during menopause is the main reason women's arteries become stiffer in midlife. Researchers found that pulse-pressure changes associated with aortic stiffness may begin roughly two decades before menopause. The findings suggest that vascular structure and aging may play a larger role than previously recognized.

The STOP-EM trial followed peri- and early postmenopausal women through nine months of supervised heavy strength and impact training twice per week. Compared with the control group, participants increased strength, lean mass, leg power and lumbar-spine bone mineral density. The study included only 40 women and was designed as a feasibility trial, so the researchers say larger trials are needed before drawing broader conclusions.

In a randomized trial in Japan, 350 pregnant women were assigned to a self-guided smartphone app informed by interpersonal psychotherapy or to usual care. The groups did not differ significantly in depressive symptoms at eight weeks, the trial's primary outcome. At one month postpartum, the app group reported lower symptom scores. The trial was not blinded, and participants did not have to meet a minimum depression score to enroll.

A single-center randomized trial in Iran tested a four-session sleep-health education program for mothers of infants younger than one year. The program did not improve maternal sleep-quality scores immediately after the four-week intervention. Compared with routine care, the intervention group had a less favorable sleep-quality trajectory. These findings apply to the specific lecture-based program tested, not to every form of postpartum sleep support.

A cross-sectional study examined how sleep disturbances and fatigue relate to depressive symptoms, anxiety and stress during pregnancy. It brings physical and psychological experiences into the same discussion. Because the researchers measured participants at one point in time, the study cannot establish which problem came first or whether one caused another. Its findings are a starting point for broader coverage of pregnancy sleep and mental health.

Researchers selected 640 participants from a screening cohort of 4,572 women to compare vaginal microbial and metabolic patterns across HPV groups. Seventy women with high-risk HPV were followed for one year. The analysis identified candidate signatures associated with persistent infection, including an association involving Lactobacillus iners. The findings are exploratory: they do not establish a diagnostic test or show that probiotics clear HPV.

Researchers from the CDC and collaborating organizations reported work to translate cervical, breast and colorectal cancer screening guidance into digital clinical decision support. A cervical cancer tool was integrated into electronic health records and underwent a six-month clinical pilot. The publication concerns implementation of guidance; it does not announce new screening recommendations or demonstrate a reduction in cancer incidence.