We are talking about menopause.
Half of humanity will go through that change at some point in their lives that does not only mean the end of fertility. It also changes bones, muscles and the brain. Menopause can be accompanied by numerous symptoms, none of which are pleasant: hot flashes, depression, joint pain, sleep disorders and cardiovascular problems.
"Why have researchers failed to alleviate the suffering of millions of women for decades?" asks Anja in her article on the state of science on menopause. In their training, gynaecologists hardly ever experience women with menopausal symptoms.
After all, menopause is no longer the taboo it was for a long time. In the US, for example, former first lady Michelle Obama, actress Kim Cattrall and presenter Oprah Winfrey spoke publicly about their complaints.
In Germany, a movement is forming under the slogan "wesindneunmillionen" (we're nine millions) that fights for a new image of women in the second half of their lives: nine million, because so many women in Germany are currently going through menopause.
You can read here how women can get through this phase of upheaval as well as possible and when hormone replacement therapy makes sense after weighing up the associated risks.
Heartily
Yours, Julia Koch
In addition, I recommend that you:
Lucky Wizards: Creative people are considered to be at risk when it comes to mental disorders. A study has now discovered an artistic profession to which this apparently does not apply: magicians.
Reconstructing a Research Scandal: A material that transports electricity without loss at room temperature could fundamentally change the world. A US researcher recently presented such a superconductor. But the alleged miracle substance was probably a fake.
Dangerous birth: Syphilis in newborns, risk of death in the puerperium for mother and baby: Having a child in the USA is ten times as dangerous as in Germany. Most infections could be easily avoided.
Simulation of radioactive contamination: The U.S. has placed its nuclear missiles in remote areas – but hostile states know where. A new simulation shows that if they bombard the sites, hundreds of thousands of Americans would die of radiation death.
More safety on the road: It would be sensible to regularly test all motorists for their fitness to drive. Instead, German politicians interpret "Vision Zero" of zero traffic fatalities as zero responsibility.
Picture of the Week
The next storm surge is sure to come: A wave simulator sends an artificial tidal wave over the Dollart dike near Finsterwolde in the Netherlands. With the help of such outdoor simulations, researchers for the regional water authority are trying to find out which types of grass are best suited for stabilising the dikes when water masses roll towards the coast again.
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