Updated 2013 International Menopause Society recommendations on menopausal hormone therapy and preventive strategies for midlife health

Tobie De Villiers, Amos Pines, Nick Panay, Marco M Gambacciani, David F Archer, Rodney Baber, Susan Ruth Davis, Anne Gompel, Victor W Henderson, Robert Langer, Rogerio A Lobo, Genevieve Plu-Bureau, David W Sturdee

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Abstract

Ten years after the first results from the Women s Health Initiative (WHI) trial were published, it seems that the atmosphere around the issue of menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is increasingly evidence-based and more rational. The pendulum has swung back from its peak negative sentiment, primarily as a result of acknowledging the importance of the age at initiation and the good safety profi le of MHT in women younger than 60 years. In November 2012, the International Menopause Society (IMS) organized a workshop with the participation of representatives from The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, The Asia Pacifi c Menopause Federation, The Endocrine Society, The European Menopause and Andropause Society, The International Osteoporosis Foundation, The North American Menopause Society and other related medical associations, with the aim of reaching a global consensus on the use of MHT and updating the 2011 IMS recommendations. The Global Consensus Statement emerging from this meeting was recently published simultaneously in Climacteric and Maturitas and was endorsed by the above societies in addition to the IMS. The 2013 update of the IMS Recommendations is similar in structure and principle to the 2011 version but with additional clinical data where needed. Throughout the Recommendations, the term MHT has been used to cover therapies including estrogens, progestogens and combined therapies. The IMS is aware of the geographical variations related to different priorities of medical care, different prevalence of diseases, and country-specifi c attitudes of the public, the medical community and health authorities toward menopause management, different availability and licensing of products, all of which may impact on MHT. These Recommendations and the subsequent key messages therefore give a simple overview that serves as a common platform on issues related to the various aspects of hormone therapy, which could be easily adap
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)316 - 337
Number of pages22
JournalClimacteric
Volume16
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2013

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