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October marks Menopause Awareness Month, and World Menopause Day on October 18th brings renewed attention to a universal life stage with important implications for the health of women. The menopausal transition can affect sleep, daily activities, and quality of life, as well as multiple body systems. Changes during midlife can also offer insights into a woman’s health as she ages. This period raises important questions about how research and care can support women through the transition and promote their long-term health. At the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), we are working to understand these changes and turn research into better care.
“Midlife, and particularly the menopausal transition, represents a key inflection point in women’s health,” said Dr. Janine A. Clayton, MD, FARVO, Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health. “It offers a critical window to better understand health trajectories, identify opportunities to prevent and manage chronic conditions, and promote healthier aging across the life course.”
ORWH has long supported menopause research. Through our Chronic Conditions in Women funding opportunities, we partner with NIH institutes and centers to better understand underlying factors for a range of chronic diseases that affect women. This research includes examining how menopause may influence the development of long-term conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
NIH-supported research is helping answer questions that matter to women and their health care providers. The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), led by the National Institute on Aging, follows women through midlife to learn how menopause experiences and health change over time. Researchers are also studying whether symptoms such as hot flashes can offer clues about health in later years.
Looking for evidence-based information to discuss with a health care provider?
My Menoplan offers research-based information and tools to help people explore ways to manage menopause symptoms and make decisions with their provider.
Explore more NIH research on menopause and midlife health, then read on for ORWH activities and ways to get involved.
Comment on Menopause Research Priorities by October 30
What questions should menopause research answer next? The NIH’s Office of Disease Prevention convened a Pathways to Prevention (P2P) workshop in collaboration with ORWH, five NIH institutes, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, bringing together researchers, federal partners and community members to identify gaps in what we know about the menopausal transition.
The workshop’s independent panel has released a draft report on research needs, including questions about symptoms, treatments, and which approaches work for different people. Your comments can help the panel identify missing evidence, overlooked experiences, and questions that need more attention.
Read the draft report and email your comments to NIHP2P@mail.nih.gov by October 30, 2026. Include the relevant report line numbers with each comment.
Help strengthen menopause care through the COMMIT Challenge
ORWH is launching the COMpetency in Menopause & Integrated Therapy (COMMIT) Challenge to recognize strong menopause education for health professionals. The Challenge will award a total of $2.5 million in prizes for existing, evidence-based curricula that teach health professionals to assess symptoms, discuss treatment options, including hormone therapy, and address long-term health. NIH plans to share winning curricula so other training programs can use them.
The submission portal opens October 20, 2026, and applications are due January 29, 2027. Join the introductory webinar on October 26 at 3 p.m. ET to learn how to participate and share the Challenge with your networks.
Share ideas to make menopause studies easier to compare
When researchers measure symptoms and health outcomes in the same way, they can compare findings and combine data across studies. Common data elements provide standard questions and response options to help them do that. On October 6, ORWH hosted a public webinar to discuss which menopause measures researchers need and how to make them useful in studies.
Watch the webinar recording and send your ideas and feedback to IDR-ORWH@mail.nih.gov.
Researchers can explore menopause-related common data elements on DiscoverWHR, a National Library of Medicine resource that brings NIH women’s health information together in one place. Visitors can also find plain-language information about menopause, NIH-funded research projects, and clinical studies. These resources support efforts across NIH to close gaps in women’s health research throughout life.
Watch updates on women’s health research at NIH
Join the public videocast of the 65th Advisory Committee on Research on Women’s Health meeting on October 20, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. ET for the latest updates on ORWH programs and activities.
Closing Message
This Menopause Awareness Month, researchers, health professionals, and members of the public all have ways to take part. Comment on the draft report, share feedback on research measures, join an upcoming event, or pass these opportunities along to someone who may be interested. Your participation can help inform the work ahead.
To learn more about ORWH resources and activities, sign up for ORWH communications or contact us at orwhinfo@nih.gov.
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