Women's Health Archive

Guidelines recommend that women starting hormone therapy do so before age 60 and within 10 years of menopause onset. Starting later may raise the risks of heart attack, stroke, or dementia. Women who start hormone therapy at 70 or older face even greater cardiovascular risks.

Women's reproductive history, including first period, pregnancy, and menopause, influences their lifetime exposure to estrogen, which appears to shape brain aging and dementia risk. Menopause is believed to be the strongest reproductive factor, with later menopause tied to lower dementia risk.

A 2026 study suggested that women who consistently stay active throughout middle age have a significantly lower risk of dying early than peers who are inactive.

Chemotherapy treatment in women can diminish hormone levels that affect sexual health and intimacy. It can also alter self-image, sex drive, and emotions. Research suggests anywhere from 40% to 100% of cancer survivors struggle with sexual dysfunction.

Pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia-marked by high blood pressure that can impair organ function and affect blood vessels-are increasingly tied to higher lifetime cardiovascular risks. Women with these complications face greater odds of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes.

Women who experience severe premenstrual symptoms may have a condition called premenstrual dysphoric disorder. Antidepressants may relieve these symptoms and, depending on the person, can be taken intermittently instead of daily.

Osteoarthritis and musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause can involve overlapping symptoms. But arthritis pain tends to be concentrated in specific joints, while joint pain and achiness from musculoskeletal syndrome of menopause usually occurs in multiple joints and muscles at once.

In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued cervical cancer screening guidelines that, for the first time, include an option for women to perform an at-home human papillomavirus (HPV) test. HPV causes about 95% of cervical cancers.

A 2026 study suggested that women with uterine fibroids may have far higher long-term risks of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.

A 2025 study suggested that self-administered hypnosis can reduce hot flash frequency and intensity in menopausal women.