Health · Healthcare & Policy · 2 hrs ago
ACOG updates menopause treatment guidance, backing more options
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists updated its menopause guidance for the first time since 2014.
It covers symptoms such as hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings, and recommends a wider range of treatment options, including hormone therapy, certain antidepressants and nonhormonal medicines.
The guidance says hormone therapy is probably the best option for symptomatic women who are newly menopausal and within 10 years of their final menstrual period or under 60.
For women with a uterus, it recommends estrogen combined with progestogen, because progestogen helps reduce estrogen’s effect on the uterine lining.
Women without a uterus are advised to use estrogen alone, while some medical conditions and histories mean hormone therapy should be avoided.
Earlier concerns about hormone therapy followed a 2002 study, but later reviews found limits in its findings, and newer studies have helped doctors assess the treatment more clearly.
The updated guidance matters because doctors can better tailor care to each patient, including with newer nonhormonal drugs approved for hot flashes.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has updated its menopause treatment guidance for the first time since 2014.
The guidance supports hormone replacement therapy and a broader range of nonhormonal medicines and treatments for symptoms including hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings.
ACOG says hormone therapy is an option for many women, while recommending that treatment be tailored to individual patients.
For women with a uterus and no contraindications, the guidance supports systemic hormone therapy combining estrogen and progestogen.
It also highlights the nonhormonal drugs fezolinetant and elinzanetant for menopause symptoms.
- Who
- The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), an organization of obstetricians and gynecologists.
- What
- ACOG updated its guidance on treating menopause symptoms, supporting hormone therapy and other treatment options.
- When
- The guidance was released Thursday. The articles were published on October 15 and 16, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- To guide treatment of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, insomnia and mood swings, with a broader range of options.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The Women's Health Initiative suggested hormone replacement therapy increased risks including heart disease, breast cancer, stroke and pulmonary embolism.
ACOG's previous menopause treatment guidelines had last been updated.
The FDA approved fezolinetant to treat hot flashes.
Elinzanetant was approved.
ACOG released its updated menopause treatment guidance.
- Previous guideline update
- 2014
- Fezolinetant brand name
- Veozah
- Fezolinetant FDA approval
- 2023
- Elinzanetant brand name
- Lynkuet
- Elinzanetant approval
- 2025
- Average age at menopause
- 49.9 years
3 sources
What people are saying
What's changing is the breadth of options that we now have … And the benefit of that is that we are better equipped to be able to take an individualized approach for patients,
Hormone therapy is probably the best option for symptomatic, newly menopausal women within 10 years of the final menstrual period or before the age of 60,