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The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society
“The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society” Advisory Panel.. Menopause (New York, N.Y.), 2022-07-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Abstract "The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society" (NAMS) updates "The 2017 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society" and identifies future research needs. An Advisory Panel of clinicians and researchers expert in the field of women's health and menopause was recruited by NAMS to review the 2017 Position Statement, evaluate new literature, assess the evidence, and reach consensus on recommendations, using the level of evidence to identify the strength of recommendations and the quality of the evidence. The Advisory Panel's recommendations were reviewed and approved by the NAMS Board of Trustees.Hormone therapy remains the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and the genitourinary syndrome of menopause and has been shown to prevent bone loss and fracture. The risks of hormone therapy differ depending on type, dose, duration of use, route of administration, timing of initiation, and whether a progestogen is used. Treatment should be individualized using the best available evidence to maximize benefits and minimize risks, with periodic reevaluation of the benefits and risks of continuing therapy.For women aged younger than 60 years or who are within 10 years of menopause onset and have no contraindications, the benefit-risk ratio is favorable for treatment of bothersome VMS and prevention of bone loss. For women who initiate hormone therapy more than 10 years from menopause onset or who are aged older than 60 years, the benefit-risk ratio appears less favorable because of the greater absolute risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and dementia. Longer durations of therapy should be for documented indications such as persistent VMS, with shared decision-making and periodic reevaluation. For bothersome genitourinary syndrome of menopause symptoms not relieved with over-the-counter therapies in women without indications for use of systemic hormone therapy, low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy or other therapies (eg, vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone or oral ospemifene) are recommended.
Key findings
- The risks of hormone therapy differ depending on type, dose, duration of use, route of administration, timing of initiation, and whether a progestogen is used.
- Treatment should be individualized using the best available evidence to maximize benefits and minimize risks, with periodic reevaluation of the benefits and risks of continuing therapy.For women aged younger than 60 years or who are within 10 years of menopause onset and have no contraindications, the benefit-risk ratio is favorable for treatment of bothersome VMS and prevention of bone loss.
- For women who initiate hormone therapy more than 10 years from menopause onset or who are aged older than 60 years, the benefit-risk ratio appears less favorable because of the greater absolute risks of coronary heart disease, stroke, venous thromboembolism, and dementia.
- Longer durations of therapy should be for documented indications such as persistent VMS, with shared decision-making and periodic reevaluation.
- For bothersome genitourinary syndrome of menopause symptoms not relieved with over-the-counter therapies in women without indications for use of systemic hormone therapy, low-dose vaginal estrogen therapy or other therapies (eg, vaginal dehydroepiandrosterone or oral ospemifene) are recommended.
Why it matters
This position statement addresses hormone therapy for menopause symptoms such as vasomotor symptoms and the genitourinary syndrome of menopause, and for prevention of bone loss and fracture. It reports no treatment, cure or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record and institution's track record, so those were left out: it earned 48 of the 93 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Menopause (New York, N.Y.)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 3 / 5 | 2022 — within 6 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 939 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 156.5 citations a year over 6 year(s) since 2022 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 97.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 772 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Wendy Wolfman: h-index 32 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 0 institution(s) in 0 countries — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 35797481) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 48 / 93 | Scored on 18 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 48 of the 93 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
May need a subscription Unpaywall, Europe PMC and OpenAlex found no free copy of the full text (checked 10 Oct 2026), so the publisher may charge for it. The PubMed abstract is free.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. The record's author field reads ““The 2022 Hormone Therapy Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society” Advisory Panel.”, which cannot be turned into a citation name, so it is left out. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. (2022). Menopause (New York, N.Y.). https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000002028
Vancouver
The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society. Menopause (New York, N.Y.). 2022. doi:10.1097/gme.0000000000002028. PMID: 35797481.
BibTeX
@article{study2022-35797481,
title = {{The 2022 hormone therapy position statement of The North American Menopause Society}},
journal = {Menopause (New York, N.Y.)},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1097/gme.0000000000002028},
pmid = {35797481},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0000000000002028}
}
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