A life course approach to menopause: what it is and why it is important

The subject of menopause, its symptoms and treatments has become a more prevalent topic in recent years. In this NCSEM online lecture series we will myth bust and outline what the evidence says around aspects of menopause. In this series of three free lunchtime lectures you will hear from leading experts in the field.

The third talk in the series will be delivered by Professor Rebecca Hardy, Professor of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics at Loughborough University, on Wednesday 22 June at 12:30pm. The talk will discuss a life course approach to menopause, what it is and why it is important.

A life course approach seeks to understand how earlier life experiences and exposures influence menopause and subsequent health, and therefore it offers potential for early intervention and prevention of menopause symptoms. In this talk we highlight how reproductive characteristics, from starting periods to menopause, are inter-related, and how health, socioeconomic position, and lifestyle in earlier life are associated with timing of menopause, menopausal symptoms, and the decision to take hormone therapy. We then outline why these prior differences between women matter in understanding the relationship between menopause and later life health.

Professor Hardy uses a life course approach in epidemiology to study health and ageing, with the aim of identifying potential points of intervention across life to maximise the chances of living a healthier, independent life for longer. Her research investigates modifiable biological, social and psychological risk factors which maximise the development, and slow the age-related decline, of body systems and function. She also has a strong focus on understanding the development of inequalities in health and ageing across life.