Professor Susan Davis: Making sense of the menopause.

Professor Susan Davis is Director, Monash University Women’s Health Research Program, Head of the Women’s Endocrine Clinic, Alfred Hospital Melbourne and consultant Endocrinologist  Cabrini Medical Centre.

Prof Davis is an internationally recognised expert on sex hormones and ageing, including menopause and its health sequelae.  Her clinical trials program has led to paradigm shifts in the understanding of testosterone in women, with current trials examining the role of hormones on cardiometabolic health, cognition, musculoskeletal health, and sexual function.

She has received numerous prestigious research awards, most recently the Elizabeth Blackburn Award of the NHMRC (2023), Ross Hohnen Award of the Australian Heart Foundation (2022), and the Medal of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians for her outstanding contribution and leadership in endocrinology and women’s health (2022). She was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2021.

Professor Davis is a past President of the International Menopause Society and the Australasian Menopause Society and presently is a Council member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. She is an Advisor to the National Women’s Health Council Australia, Advisor to the NHS Menopause Improvement Programme Steering Committee (UK) and was an Advisor for the Australian National Women’s Health Strategy 2020-2030. She advocates for best clinical care via co-authorship of international Best Practice Guidelines and working with industry to ensure the health needs of women are understood.

In this episode, we discuss the definitions of perimenopause, menopause and post menopause. Susan, being an endocrinologist, which is someone who studies hormones, is a world expert on menopause hormones. Is the menopause a hormone deficiency disorder? Susan explains that it is if menopause happens early, it should be treated with hormones, but it is not a "deficiency disorder" if menopause happens at the average age.. We talked about symptoms and treatments, and how not everything that happens in mid-life is due to the menopause. Why does Susan refers to hormone therapy as menopause hormone therapy (MHT) and not a replacement therapy (HRT). What about testosterone? Susan explains that it will not improve energy or cognition. We discuss the problem we are seeing in the UK with some doctors prescribing high doses of MHT and Susan explains why this is dangerous and should not be done. She explains the lack of evidence that taking MHT will decrease the risk of some long-term conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia.  This episode really does address many of the myths that have sprung up about menopause. Susan was happy to set the record straight as she is so often misquoted in the UK. We should be listening to the endocrinologists such as Susan and Annice who was on episode 3 of my podcast.