On 20 April, as part of the Scientific Canned Series at l\u2019Ateneu de Vic<\/a>, led by Dr Julita Oliveras of UVic-UCC, Dr Elisa Llurba shared evidence of positive interventions during the pre-, during and post-menopausal stages. This stage of life has become, for many women, the longest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Elisa Llurba Oliv\u00e9 is Director of the Gynaecology and Obstetrics Service at the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau in Barcelona and Head of the Perinatal and Women’s Medicine Research Group at the Sant Pau Research Institute. She is a full Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, UAB. Co-founder of the newly established Society for Sex and Gender-Based Medicine of the Academy of Medical Sciences. Author of numerous publications and a prolific public speaker. In 2025, she wrote the book \u2018La menopausa en positiu\u2019 (Positive Menopause), published by Rosa dels Vents\/Penguin Random House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From a hormonal standpoint, a woman’s life is divided into four well-defined stages: childhood and pre-adolescence, puberty with menarche (the first menstrual period), the fertile stage and pregnancy in the reproductive period, and menopause. Menopause has been regarded as taboo or as a declining stage for women. In recent years, scientific evidence indicates that empowering women through knowledge of the changes it entails and the actions they can take can turn menopause into a stage of positive fulfilment for women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lack of research and technology on menopause is explained by the androcentric view of life<\/a> and medicine and social and cultural prejudices. Since the Hippocratic era and for many centuries, the last menstruation was regarded as the onset of physical and emotional illnesses due to the loss of value from losing reproductive function and the aesthetic changes in the body. In the 19th century, the French physician Charles Pierre Louis Gardanne began to interpret medically the changes women undergo during menopause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is true that in the animal kingdom females with prolonged postmenopause are the exception: humans, some chimpanzees and toothed whales. There are anthropological studies that associate prolonged postmenopausal periods with an evolutionary adaptation of species to improve the survival of subsequent generations, by providing greater support in caregiving and in the transmission of everyday skills. The increase in life expectancy means that today women in Catalonia live, on average, 35 years after the menopause, which in many cases is longer than their reproductive period. Women’s life expectancy in 19th-century Catalonia was 40 years. At the beginning of the 20th century it was 62 years, 74 years in 1970 and currently 86 years. The challenge is to extend the years of healthy life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lifestyle choices throughout life, and especially between the ages of 45 and 55, will determine one’s quality of life thereafter. Three stages must be distinguished in the menopausal process.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The cause of menopause is the progressive decrease in the production of sex hormones\u2014oestrogens, progestogens and, to a lesser extent, testosterone\u2014by the follicles of the ovaries.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Oestrogens are anti-inflammatory at the level of the brain, circulatory and digestive systems, and regulate lipids, blood pressure, vaginal pH, bone mineralisation, and joint and muscle health. Progesterone plays a crucial role in pregnancy and declines more rapidly during perimenopause. Testosterone declines more slowly with age and is associated with osteoarticular health, memory and libido.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the book, Dr Llurba shares the scientific evidence for improving quality of life during menopause. The perimenopausal stage, from the age of 45, is key to understanding the changes of menopause and taking preventive measures or those that will minimise its symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The core areas of intervention are nutrition, movement, emotional well-being, sleep, pelvic floor strengthening, a fulfilling and personal sexuality, and the individualisation of THM\u2014hormonal treatments during menopause, whether natural or pharmacological.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The diet should support the microbiota, be anti-inflammatory, and rich in prebiotics, fruit and vegetables.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Population screening for the initial loss of muscle strength, sarcopenia and osteopenia should be carried out in all women aged 45 to 55. Osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, arthritis and rheumatism are twice as common in women as in men (30% of women versus 15% of men). Movement and physical activity, including muscle-strengthening exercises, in perimenopausal and menopausal women prevent sarcopenia and may delay osteoporosis. Maintaining normal body weight is crucial. A rich, healthy lifestyle with adequate calcium and vitamin D intake is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emotional health and stress management are important for preventing depression or anxiety. Cognitive therapy, learning to avoid toxic relationships, relaxation and meditation techniques are effective supports. Women should strengthen their self-esteem and positively accept the changes of menopause. Society must change its perception of menopausal women and combat gender stereotypes and ageism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The lack of oestrogen and tissue ageing can weaken the structures that support the pelvic organs, which are essential for urinary and faecal continence, vaginal lubrication and the balance of vaginal flora. There are preventive methods for the pre- and post-partum periods, as well as for premenopause and menopause, and effective pelvic floor rehabilitation, along with local and surgical therapies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Every woman experiencing menopause is different, and the indications for THM (menopausal hormone therapy) must always be assessed on an individual basis, with a risk\u2013benefit analysis and up-to-date knowledge of the research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They are clearly indicated in women with overt symptoms and osteopenia. The scientific literature on the clinical management of THM should be reviewed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women aged 69 and over should be included in breast cancer screening, which is currently for those aged 50 to 69. Research into menopause across all fields should be encouraged. Menopause should be taken into account in all diseases affecting women at this stage of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Women’s empowerment and the actions within their reach can help them experience menopause positively.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u00abWomen’s empowerment and the actions within their reach can help them experience menopause positively through a set of measures across various areas.\u00bb Article by Marina Geli, Doctor and former Health Councillor, published in Naci\u00f3 Digital On 20 April, as part of the Scientific Canned Series at l\u2019Ateneu de Vic, led by Dr Julita Oliveras of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":43961,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2264,1287,650,538,2871,956,942,2223,955,2658,1283,813,958,1699,1],"tags":[1259,1260,2872,2873,1276],"class_list":["post-43954","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artrosi-en","category-blog-en","category-joint-health-tips","category-latest","category-menopausa","category-nutrition-tips","category-oafi-friends","category-oafi-woman-en","category-osteoarthritis","category-osteopenia-en","category-osteoporosis-2-en","category-pain","category-patient-area","category-salud-en","category-uncategorized-en","tag-calidad-de-vida-en","tag-concienciacion-en","tag-menopausa","tag-menopausa-dona","tag-salud-articular-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43954","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43954"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43954\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43986,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43954\/revisions\/43986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43961"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43954"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43954"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43954"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Lack of research into the menopause<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
![\"menopausia\"](\"https:\/\/www.oafifoundation.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/menopausia-1-1024x681.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe transition to menopause<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Population screening<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Personalised valuations<\/h1>\n\n\n\n