When a woman presents with menopausal symptoms, record whether menopause was natural or followed surgery, chemotherapy or pelvic radiotherapy, and at what age. The cause and timing shape how long symptoms and long-term risks may last.
For women whose ovaries were removed or whose ovarian function ended early, the conversation should cover vasomotor symptoms, bone health and cardiovascular risk, with a plan for who follows each up.
- Record cause and age at menopause in every menopause consultation.
- Early menopause is a prompt to review bone and cardiovascular risk factors.
- Agree who owns follow-up: gynaecology, primary care or cardiology.
- Revisit symptoms and risk at routine visits, not only at the first one.
Why it matters
A history of early menopause often goes unrecorded, and with it the reason to review long-term risk.
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