“Iniitially, I took it lightly. But now, when I read through everything, I’m realising this could actually be quite serious,” Lim, 29, told Bernama.
She was referring to her research on perimenopause – the transition phase when oestrogen levels in women start declining – and menopause, characterised by the end of the menstrual cycle for good – and their long-term effects on women’s health.
Experts are now calling for a paradigm shift: recognising early menopause care as a crucial strategy to prevent non-communicable diseases, and save Malaysians significant money and misery.
Malaysian Menopause Society president Dr Ho Choon Moy said too many people are unaware of how serious untreated menopause can be, and only address it after they have developed issues like diabetes.
Menopause marks not only the end of a woman’s reproductive years but also her increased vulnerability to developing various diseases. The average age of menopause in Malaysia is 50.7 years, though women may start the transition process 10 years prior.
Ho believes that early menopause care, such as menopausal hormone therapy (MHT), is a worthy investment to stave off potential afflictions and complications in the future.
“It has long-term benefits. We are talking about preventing diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis and fractures,” she outlined, suggesting that free MHT services could be provided in government clinics.
On top of healthcare savings, early menopausal treatment could fuel economic growth by helping some women stay longer in the workforce. In several international studies, issues surrounding menopause have been cited as a significant cause of women exiting the workforce during middle age.
While Malaysia has announced strategies – from childcare and eldercare assistance to three-month paid maternity leave – to keep women in the labour force, menopausal symptoms have not made much headway in penetrating the mainstream consciousness.
A recent study led by obstetrician/gynaecologist and menopause advocate Dr Premitha Damodaran highlighted that common menopausal symptoms among multiethnic working women in Malaysia include joint pain, sleep disturbances, brain fog, mood swings and digestive issues.
Most commonly affecting those between the ages of 45 and 55, these symptoms can be severe enough for women to report reduced productivity, leading them to decline promotions, reduce their working hours, and resign early.
This translates to a significant loss of experienced talent, invaluable institutional knowledge, and leadership potential – particularly among women aged 45-60, often at the prime of their professional lives.
“It’s really a waste of resources if they have to leave,” Ho added. “If we can treat menopausal symptoms while women are healthy, they don’t have to retire early. This will boost the female workforce and, in turn, the economy.”
MHT is an umbrella term that covers all hormonal treatments, including contraceptives and hormonal replacement therapy. The Clinical Practice Guidelines for Menopausal Management suggests that oestrogen therapy may be cardioprotective when started within 10 years of menopause or in women younger than 60 years of age, compared with older postmenopausal women.
Despite acknowledging the benefits of MHT in preventing cardiovascular diseases, the guidelines do not recommend it for primary or secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in women.