A quarter century ago, the North American Menopause Society (NAMS) started a revolution in the care of women at menopause and beyond, giving menopause care the focus it deserves in clinical practice and putting the standards of care for midlife and older women on solid scientific ground.
The care of midlife women has changed dramatically over the past 25 years, with a greatly expanded array of treatment options, accompanied by extensive research. After the publication of the Women’s Health Initiative and with every significant publication and advancement in the field, NAMS has been available to help clinicians and women make the best possible evidence-based care decisions.
Dr. Jan Leslie Shifren
As the Society marks its 25th anniversary, NAMS continues this tradition by publishing the first comprehensive set of evidence-based recommendations for the care of midlife women in the Society’s journal (Menopause 2014;21:1038-62). This valuable resource is now freely available to clinicians and women on the NAMS website. The North American Menopause Society Recommendations for Clinical Care of Midlife Women will help health care providers and women navigate the controversy regarding hormone therapy and other treatments to incorporate the latest scientifically sound findings into care. These key points and recommendations on more than 50 topics cover the management of everything related to midlife women’s health, from hot flashes, genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and osteoporosis to depression, cardiovascular disease, and thyroid dysfunction.
Dr. Margery L.S. Gass
For each topic, the key points and recommendations were written by an expert in the field. Contributors were drawn from a broad range of specialties, including gynecology, internal medicine, medical and reproductive endocrinology, cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, psychology, dermatology, and oncology.
Graded for level of evidence, each topic was carefully reviewed for accuracy and relevance, edited, and approved by an editorial panel of experts in midlife women’s health. The 2013-2014 NAMS Board of Trustees provided final review and approval of the key points and clinical recommendations.
The mission of NAMS is to promote the health and quality of life of all women during midlife and beyond. To further this goal, we offer a succinct and evidence-based guide to all who wish to understand and manage women’s health at this critical stage of life.
Dr. Jan L. Shifren is the president of NAMS and director of the Massachusetts General Midlife Women’s Health Center in Boston, and Dr. Margery L.S .Gass is the executive director of NAMS. Dr. Shifren also is an editorial advisory board member for Ob.Gyn. News. Dr. Shifren and Dr. Gass said they had no relevant financial disclosures.