Michael Blann / Getty Images
+Women's Health | August 31, 2011

Upside? A Few Extra Pounds May Protect Against Hot Flashes

By Meredith Melnick

The common wisdom among doctors suggests that heavier women have more hot flashes during menopause. But a small study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism adds a wrinkle to that thinking, finding that the relationship between weight and hot flashes may depend on a woman’s age.

+Women's Health | August 9, 2011

Soy Does Nothing to Ease Symptoms of Menopause

By Sora Song
Getty Images

What is a menopausal woman to do? A new study finds that taking soy supplements, a popular alternative to hormone-replacement therapy, does not help relieve the symptoms of menopause or protect against bone loss.

+'Mind Reading' | July 7, 2011

Q&A: Why 50 Is Not the New 30, and How to Make the Best of It

By Maia Szalavitz
new30

Mirth and menopause may seem an unlikely mix, but in her new book, Between a Rock and a Hot Place: Why Fifty is Not the New Thirty, Hollywood screenwriter Tracey Jackson manages to deliver women’s health advice with an infectiously lighthearted outlook.

+Women's Health | June 9, 2011

All Hype: Flaxseed Doesn’t Stop Hot Flashes

By Amie Ninh
Lisa Kyle Young via Getty Images

It was too good to be true: a study by Mayo Clinic researchers finds that flaxseed doesn’t help prevent hot flashes after all.

+Supplements | May 25, 2011

Study: U.S. Calcium Guidelines May Be Too High

By Alice Park
Kallista Images

Since bones tend to deteriorate with age, it makes sense to take in more calcium as we get older, to help lower the risk of fractures in our hips and limbs. But how much additional calcium is enough? And is there such as thing as too much?

+Women's Health | April 8, 2011

Making Sense of Hormone Therapy After Menopause

By Alice Park
IAN HOOTON/SPL

This week a government-sponsored study allayed many women’s fears about the health risks of hormone therapy after menopause, finding that estrogen-only therapy may be less dangerous than previously thought. So, taken together, what does the evidence on hormone therapy mean for thousands of menopausal women?

+Reproductive Health | February 24, 2011

The Hot Flashes of Menopause May Protect Women’s Hearts

By Alice Park
Linda Braucht

A new study suggests that women who experience intense menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats may actually have a health advantage — they may be protected from heart disease, stroke and even death years after the Change.

+Breast Cancer | January 28, 2011

Why Those Agonizing Hot Flashes May Not Be All Bad

By Meredith Melnick
Getty Images

You might not want to broach the topic with a woman in the throes of a hot flash — a menopausal symptom often described as feeling like your body’s been set on fire — but a new study suggests that difficult symptoms of menopause could be a good thing.

+Women's Health | January 18, 2011

Study: Antidepressants May Relieve Hot Flashes

By Meredith Melnick
JB Reed/Bloomberg News via Getty Images

Menopausal or postmenopausal women may benefit from taking an antidepressant — not because they’re depressed, but because the drug could help reduce the often insufferable hot flashes that characterize menopause, according to new research.

+Fertility | June 27, 2010

A test to predict menopause?

By Sora Song

It’s a discovery that could be even more revolutionary than the Pill: a blood test that can predict decades in advance when women will hit menopause. Doctors in Israel report a preliminary study that could someday help create such a test; the research will be presented on Monday at a European fertility conference in Rome, [...]