This menopause health news was included in issue 107 (Winter 2025-2026) of The Menopause Exchange newsletter.
Healthcare boost
NHS England continues to improve healthcare for menopausal women. Plans are in place for personalised NHS care from 2027 to offer faster and easier access to diagnosis and treatment. With NHS Online, women with severe menopausal symptoms will be able to arrange to see a specialist consultant using the NHS App, consult doctors via video, and be monitored at home. Any physical checks, tests and procedures will continue at local healthcare sites, but you’ll be able to see a doctor face- to-face if you want or need to.
Stay calm and sleep well
New plant-based sofi supplement sprays have been created for women with busy days and sleepless nights. sofi day (£17 for 10 ml), containing ashwagandha, is designed to help ease the pressures of hectic daytime schedules. sofi night supplement spray (£17 for 10 ml), containing passionflower, has been created to support natural rest. Passionflower and ashwagandha have traditionally been used to help calm the nervous system and control the body’s stress response. sofi is available in selected Boots stores and online from January 2026. For more information, visit the https://sofi.health website.
New HRT patches
Two Estradot Conti skin patches have been added to the list of medicines covered by the HRT prepayment certificate. Estradot Conti patches, containing oestrogen and progestogen, can be prescribed for menopausal symptoms (such as hot flushes) in post- menopausal women with a uterus. If you’re post-menopausal, you won’t have had a period for at least 12 months. Estradot Conti is available in 30 mcg and 40 mcg oestradiol doses. The patches should be applied twice a week, every three or four days. Ask your doctor for more information.
Every movement counts
Keeping active is good for us and, in theory, adults should aim to do 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every week. But many people struggle to exercise regularly. A new study of adults aged 40+, published in The Lancet, has found that being active for just an extra five or ten minutes each day can significantly benefit your health. Reducing your sitting time by 30 minutes every day is even better for you. You don’t need to join a gym or go along to a class. Just make a few changes to your day – a brisk walk, housework, gardening or even climbing a few extra flights of stairs. As this research shows, a small (but increasing) amount of physical activity every day is better than none at all.
Heart health at the menopause
New research is being launched to understand how the menopause affects women’s heart health. The researchers believe that current heart disease guidelines miss a vital window for earlier prevention in women. A clinical trial will detect silent changes in arteries, and test whether earlier prevention can stop or even reverse their progression. The global team is being led by British Heart Foundation Professor Ziad Mallat at the University of Cambridge and Professor Martha Hickey at the University of Melbourne.
Created Winter 2025-2026
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