MERIT - Menopause: Evidence on Risks and benefits for Individualized Therapies

Purpose and Goals

Many women experience troublesome symptoms around menopause, such as hot flashes, sleep problems, mood changes, and reduced quality of life. Hormone therapy for menopause can relieve these symptoms in most women. However, use of hormone therapy dropped sharply after a large study in 2002 suggested that it might increase the risk of breast cancer and heart disease. Later research has not clearly confirmed these risks, but uncertainty still exists—especially for newer types of hormone treatments.

This project aims to better understand how menopausal hormone therapy is used in Sweden today and whether different types of treatment are linked to different health outcomes. The overall goal is to support safer, more personalized treatment for women.

The project includes three parts:

• Part 1: National surveys of women and healthcare professionals about their knowledge, attitudes, and experiences with menopausal hormone therapy.
• Part 2: Studies using national health registers to examine trends in hormone therapy use and possible links to cancer, heart disease, and mental health.
• Part 3: A clinical trial comparing two commonly used progesterone treatments to see how they affect the body, mood, and quality of life.

The results will help fill important knowledge gaps and contribute to updated treatment guidelines, with the aim of improving care and quality of life for women going through menopause.