What the latest science says about hormones, weight loss, brain fog, migraines, and women’s health.
Every year, leading researchers and clinicians gather at The Menopause Society’s Annual Meeting to discuss new developments in menopause medicine. This year’s meeting, held October 20โ24, 2026, in San Diego, has generated some particularly interesting headlines.
From hormone therapy potentially influencing weight loss medications to questions about testosterone and cardiovascular health, the research is getting attentionโand understandably so.
But there’s something I want women to understand: A compelling headline doesn’t necessarily mean we have a new clinical recommendation.
Much of the research presented at medical conferences is preliminary. Some studies are observational, meaning researchers identify associations rather than establish cause and effect.
As a women’s health nurse practitioner, I believe it’s important to discuss emerging evidence while being equally transparent about what we still don’t know.
Here are six updates worth discussing.
1. Could Hormone Therapy Improve Weight Loss With GLP-1 Medications?
This is one of the more interesting findings, particularly for women navigating weight changes during perimenopause and menopause.
Researchers evaluated 3,855 women aged 45 and older using semaglutide or tirzepatide, comparing weight loss outcomes between women using menopausal hormone therapy and those who were not.
Among semaglutide users, hormone therapy was associated with greater weight loss over time.
At 15 months, women receiving hormone therapy had lost approximately 11.6% of their body weight, compared with 9.7% among women not receiving hormone therapy.
Interestingly, the same sustained difference was not observed with tirzepatide.
What does this mean?
We know that declining estrogen can influence body fat distribution, insulin sensitivity, and metabolic health. It’s reasonable to investigate whether hormone therapy might affect responses to weight management medications.
However, this study was retrospective. We cannot conclude that estrogen directly caused the additional weight loss.
And importantly, hormone therapy should not be prescribed solely to enhance GLP-1 treatment outcomes.
For women experiencing both menopausal symptoms and weight-related concerns, the findings reinforce the importance of evaluating hormonal and metabolic health together.
2. Testosterone Therapy Is Raising New Cardiovascular Safety Questions
One of the most concerning headlines involves testosterone therapy in postmenopausal women.
Researchers reviewing electronic health records found that women receiving testosterone had higher rates of a composite cardiovascular outcome compared with women who were not receiving testosterone.
The reported event rates were 3.8% versus 0.5%, respectively.
That difference deserves attention.
However, this was an observational study, not a randomized controlled trial. It cannot establish that testosterone caused the cardiovascular events.
The publicly available research summary also leaves important questions regarding testosterone formulations, dosing, achieved blood concentrations, and treatment duration.
This is especially relevant because testosterone is increasingly marketed to women for energy, mood, weight loss, muscle development, and general wellness.
Yet the strongest evidence supporting testosterone therapy in women remains its use for hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) in appropriately evaluated postmenopausal women.
What does this mean?
If you’re using testosterone, this is an opportunity to review why it was prescribed, whether you’re experiencing a measurable benefit, and whether your treatment is being appropriately monitored.
It is not a reason to panic or abruptly discontinue a medication based on a headline.
We’ll explore this research in greater detail in our companion article on hormone therapy and cardiovascular health.
3. Could ADHD Medications Help Menopausal Brain Fog?
Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, and changes in mental clarity are among the most frustrating symptoms women report during the menopause transition.
Emerging research presented at this year’s meeting explored whether medications commonly prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder might improve cognitive symptoms.
A review found preliminary evidence suggesting that lisdexamfetamine and atomoxetine may improve self-reported executive function in some women.
Executive function includes our ability to organize, plan, concentrate, and manage multiple tasks.
However, the evidence remains limited.
What does this mean?
Menopausal brain fog is real, and it deserves to be taken seriously.
But that doesn’t mean every woman experiencing cognitive changes needs a stimulant medication.
Sleep disruption, mood symptoms, medication effects, thyroid disease, and other contributors should be considered before choosing treatment.
Research into new therapies is encouraging, but these medications are not currently established as routine treatment for menopause-related cognitive symptoms.
4. Hormone Therapy and Migraines: A Complicated Relationship
Hormonal fluctuations are well-known migraine triggers.
During perimenopause, estrogen levels can rise and fall unpredictably, which may explain why some women experience worsening migraines during this transition.
New research presented at the meeting found an association between menopausal hormone therapy and greater migraine frequency and duration among postmenopausal women.
However, the findings did not demonstrate a corresponding increase in migraine severity.
What does this mean?
The relationship between estrogen and migraines is more complicated than simply labeling estrogen as helpful or harmful.
For some women, maintaining more consistent estrogen exposure may improve hormonally triggered migraines. For others, treatment may worsen symptoms.
The type of estrogen, route of administration, dosing, and individual migraine history can all influence treatment decisions.
This is another example of why menopause care cannot follow a one-size-fits-all approach.
5. Exercise Continues to Be an Important Part of Menopause Care
Not every meaningful advancement in menopause medicine involves a prescription.
Research presented at the meeting also explored associations between physical activity and menopausal symptoms, with more frequent exercise associated with lower reported symptom burdens.
While observational findings cannot prove that exercise caused the improvement, the broader evidence supporting physical activity is substantial.
Resistance training, aerobic exercise, and regular movement can support muscle preservation, bone health, cardiovascular fitness, insulin sensitivity, and psychological well-being.
What does this mean?
Exercise isn’t a replacement for hormone therapy when hormone therapy is indicated.
But it is an important component of comprehensive care, particularly as women experience changes in body composition and metabolic health.
And perhaps most importantly, exercise should be something women can realistically incorporate into their livesโnot another impossible standard to meet.
6. Researchers Are Continuing to Explore Hormone Therapy Beyond Hot Flashes
Additional research presented at the meeting explored associations between different hormone therapy regimens and autoimmune outcomes.
One observational analysis reported modest differences in autoimmune diagnoses among women receiving estrogen alone versus estrogen combined with a progestogen.
These findings are interesting, but they should not be interpreted as evidence that progesterone prevents autoimmune disease.
For women with a uterus, systemic estrogen therapy generally requires appropriate endometrial protection with a progestogen.
That decision is based on established endometrial safety evidenceโnot preliminary autoimmune research.
What does this mean?
As our understanding of menopause expands, researchers are investigating how hormonal changes may interact with multiple body systems.
But expanding research should not be confused with expanding indications for treatment before the evidence supports them.
My Takeaway: Menopause Care Is Moving Forward, but Good Medicine Still Requires Context
I’m encouraged by the attention menopause medicine is finally receiving.
For too long, women’s symptoms were minimized, dismissed, or treated as an inevitable part of aging.
Today, we’re asking better questions about cardiovascular health, metabolic function, cognitive changes, sexual health, and quality of life.
But more research doesn’t automatically mean more medications are necessary.
At Limitless Health Spa, our approach is centered on understanding the individualโnot treating a lab result, chasing a hormone number, or reacting to the latest headline.
That means evaluating symptoms, personal and family history, cardiometabolic risk, lifestyle factors, and the evidence supporting available treatments.
The goal isn’t to prescribe hormones to every woman. It’s to make sure every woman has access to thoughtful, informed, individualized care.
And that’s where I believe the future of menopause medicine should be heading.
References and Further Reading
The Menopause Society. (2026). 2026 Annual Meeting: Bridging the gap between research and practice. https://menopause.org/annual-meetings/2026-annual-meeting
Castaneda, R., et al. (2026). Menopause hormone therapy and weight loss response to GLP-1โbased therapies in midlife women: A retrospective cohort study [Conference abstract]. The Menopause Society 2026 Annual Meeting. https://menopause.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/MENOPAUSE26_Regular-LB_Abstracts-4-1.pdf
The Menopause Society. (2026, October 20). Testosterone therapy may increase risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. https://menopause.org/press-releases/testosterone-therapy-may-increase-risk-of-cardiovascular-disease-in-postmenopausal-women
The Menopause Society. (2026, October 20). Hormone therapy may increase weight loss effectiveness of GLP-1s. https://menopause.org/press-releases/hormone-therapy-may-increase-weight-loss-effectiveness-of-glp-1s
The Menopause Society. (2026, October 20). ADHD medications offer promise in managing menopausal brain fog. https://menopause.org/press-releases/adhd-medications-offer-promise-in-managing-menopausal-brain-fog
The Menopause Society. (2026, October 20). Hormone therapy use associated with greater migraine burden in postmenopausal women. https://menopause.org/press-releases/hormone-therapy-use-associated-with-greater-migraine-burden-in-postmenopausal-women
Editorial note: Conference findings are preliminary and should not be interpreted as finalized treatment guidelines. The reference list includes society press releases and conference material; these are not substitutes for full peer-reviewed manuscripts.
