The Menopause Research and Education Fund was set up approximately 3 years ago to help support and fund research into menopause and its impact on long term health as well as to provide evidence-based information and education to all those who go through menopause or support them.

We provide CPD accredited education course to GPs and allied healthcare professionals as well as multiple free videos and downloadable resources for all who need them on out website and YouTube channels. We raise awareness on the silent changes that happen around menopause to our bones, brain and heart health as well as our pelvic floor and advocate for better services for women. 

We also advocate for better funding for menopause research as at the moment just 0.3% of the funding given by the NIHR to medical research goes on menopause even though we are 51% of the population and all of those born female who live long enough will go through it.

We know that menopause can cause women to quit their jobs, change roles or reduce their hours, and we also know that women may live longer but we spend 25% longer on poor health than our male counterparts. We are more likely to develop dementia, osteoporosis and immune conditions in later life than men, but we are lucky to make up 40% of the participants in research studies on these conditions and the role of menopause is rarely considered. We are also 50% more likely to be misdiagnosed with a heart attack (the biggest killer of women globally) and are more likely to die in the year after a heart attack. This is because the heart attacks we have are more likely to affect the microvascular system in the heart and are harder to detect. The role of menopause in this is poorly researched.

This is why research on menopause matters. We spend 30-50 or more years in post menopause but we are virtually invisible in the research. What we learn from research in this area will improve lives in the future and also help dispel some of the myths and misconceptions that have recently surfaced about menopause and the role of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

In short, menopause can be a confusing and difficult time for many and we are here to support them, ensure their doctors are equiped to support them, and to ensure better health for all in the future.