Plain-language summaries of published studies and official updates on menopause, plant-based and natural approaches, and skin. Each entry links to the original source. Evidence is reported as it is, including mixed or negative results.
FDA approved updated labels for the first six hormone therapy products under the November 2025 request, covering combination, estrogen-alone, progestogen and vaginal estrogen products. FDA said 29 companies had submitted proposed changes. Whether hormone therapy is right for a person is still an individual decision made with a clinician.
Read the source →FDA asked companies to remove language about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and probable dementia from the boxed warning on hormone therapy products, while keeping the endometrial cancer boxed warning for systemic estrogen-alone products. Labels will add that starting systemic therapy can be considered for moderate to severe hot flashes in women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause. Risk information still appears elsewhere in the labeling.
Read the source →Elinzanetant, a second nonhormonal option that acts on neurokinin 1 and 3 receptors, was approved for moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause. FDA's snapshot summarizes who was in the trials and the side effects seen. It is prescription-only.
Read the source →After a post-marketing report of liver injury, FDA first added a warning in September 2024 and then a boxed warning in December 2024. Liver blood tests are recommended before starting and at set points during treatment, and patients should stop the drug and call their prescriber if signs of liver problems appear.
Read the source →Two 26-week placebo-controlled trials found elinzanetant reduced hot flash frequency and severity and improved sleep disturbance and menopause-related quality of life. The trials were funded by the manufacturer.
Read the source →WHI investigators reviewed about 20 years of follow-up from the large hormone therapy trials. They support hormone therapy for managing bothersome symptoms in early menopause but not for preventing chronic disease, and they note risks differ by age, time since menopause and type of therapy.
Read the source →This statement rates nonhormonal options for hot flashes. It recommends cognitive behavioral therapy, clinical hypnosis, certain prescription drugs and some procedures, and it does not recommend many supplements and herbal remedies, including soy foods and extracts and black cohosh, because the evidence was not strong enough.
Read the source →FDA approved fezolinetant, a neurokinin 3 receptor antagonist that works on the brain's temperature-control pathway, for moderate to severe hot flashes from menopause. It was the first drug of its kind. It is a prescription medicine and requires liver blood tests.
Read the source →In this randomized, placebo-controlled trial, fezolinetant reduced the frequency and severity of moderate to severe hot flashes over 12 weeks compared with placebo, with a 40-week extension. The authors called for more research on quality of life, mood and sexual wellbeing.
Read the source →The society (now The Menopause Society) reviewed the evidence and concluded that for healthy women under 60 or within 10 years of menopause without contraindications, the benefits of hormone therapy for bothersome hot flashes and bone loss generally outweigh the risks. It stresses individualized decisions about type, dose, route and duration.
Read the source →NCCIH summarizes research on soy for menopausal symptoms and bone health and notes results are mixed. Soy foods are considered safe as part of a normal diet. The page also covers what is known about longer-term isoflavone supplement use.
Read the source →NCCIH reports that studies of black cohosh for hot flashes have mixed results. It notes rare reports of liver problems in people taking it and advises talking with a health care provider before use, especially with liver disease.
Read the source →This overview covers mind and body practices, dietary supplements and other complementary approaches for menopausal symptoms, and what the research does and does not show for each. It reminds readers that 'natural' does not always mean safe and that supplements can interact with medicines.
Read the source →In a small 12-week randomized trial of postmenopausal women, a low-fat vegan diet plus half a cup of cooked soybeans daily was associated with fewer and less severe hot flashes than the control group. The study was small and not blinded, so larger trials are needed.
Read the source →This review of 16 trials found insufficient evidence that black cohosh relieves menopausal symptoms, and many trials were poorly reported. The authors said more good-quality research was justified.
Read the source →Pooling randomized trials, the authors found soy isoflavone supplements reduced hot flash frequency and severity more than placebo, with higher-genistein products appearing stronger. Results varied a lot between studies. The Menopause Society's 2023 statement still did not recommend soy for hot flashes.
Read the source →This new review looks at how estrogen loss during perimenopause and menopause shows up in the skin and how those changes can affect quality of life. It is a review of existing literature, not a new clinical trial.
Read the source →This narrative review describes how falling estrogen affects collagen, skin thickness, hydration and wound healing. It discusses hormone therapy as a possible option while stressing that risks and benefits must be reviewed individually with a medical professional.
Read the source →Pooling available trials, the authors found hormone therapy was linked with higher skin elasticity, thickness and collagen content, with no significant effect on dryness. They said more well-conducted trials are needed. Hormone therapy is not approved specifically for skin.
Read the source →Last updated November 4, 2026.
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