The New Menopause

Gabi's Review

Dr Mary Claire Haver is an obstetrician/gynaecologist working at the leading edge of women's health research and practice. Her new book The New Menopause is mandatory reading for women of 40 and over, published at a pivotal moment for research findings and targeted treatment outcomes. Dr Haver highlights the significant advancements in the research and analysis of menopause since the now infamous Women’s Health Initiative Study released in 2002. This skewed and erroneous study led directly to the decline in the use of hormone therapy, and the rise of untested menopause-related conditions. Dr Haver argues that the belief in menopause as ‘natural’ is illogical and meaningless, because the extension of our lives by medical intervention means that not even our life spans can be considered ‘natural.’

The New Menopause offers valuable insights into managing menopause symptoms, which typically involve an increase in cognitive and neural decline, a decline in cardiovascular health, osteo-integrity degradation, visceral fat increase and metabolic disorder, among others. Part One of the book deals with the history of menopause medicine, revealing why women have struggled to find reliable and trustworthy support. Part Two outlines each of the three stages of hormonal change - perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause - and discusses in detail the many options for hormone therapy, as well as its risk specifications. Part Three provides a ‘toolkit’ for addressing menopause symptoms. The symptoms are revealed as vast and astounding, including brain fog, heart palpitations, joint pain and vertigo, hot flashes and insomnia. Dr Havers strongly recommends a program of good nutrition, targeted exercise and solutions to providing good sleeping habits.

This is a compulsively informative read and a long overdue science-based appraisal, as well as offering women empowering tools to advocate for themselves in consultation scenarios. Women’s hormones, and women’s health in general, are far more complex and dynamic issues than have been recognised in the past. Dr Haver’s groundbreaking focus is a welcome and necessary step to achieving better health outcomes for women. It is also a valuable read for the medical profession, and for women’s partners and families, to help them understand the crucial bodily and psychological changes in women’s lives. 

Publisher’s Review 

Everything a woman needs to know to thrive during her hormonal transition and beyond, from pioneering women's health advocate and number one NYT bestselling author, Dr Mary Claire Haver.

THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Menopause is inevitable. Suffering through it is not.

This is the empowering approach that pioneering women's health advocate Dr Mary Claire Haver takes for women in the midst of hormonal change in The New Menopause. A comprehensive, authoritative book of science-backed information and lived experience, it covers every woman's needs, including-

• Changes in your appearance and sleep patterns, neurological, musculoskeletal, psychological and sexual issues, and a comprehensive A to Z toolkit of science-backed options for coping with symptoms.
  
• What to do to mediate the risks associated with your body's natural drop in oestrogen production, including for diabetes, dementia, Alzheimer's, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and weight gain.
  
• How to advocate for yourself and prepare for visits to the doctor, including questions to ask and how to insist on whole-life care
  
• The very latest research on the benefits and side effects of hormone replacement therapy.
  

Arming women with the power to secure vibrant health and well-being for the rest of their lives, The New Menopause is sure to become the bible of midlife wellness for present and future generations.