Dear Colleagues,
Warm greetings.
Today, in the era of science and technology, a woman’s lifespan has increased. So, a woman passes more than one-third of her life in the menopausal age group. A woman is considered the pivot of the family. So, her health is of utmost importance for the betterment of a family and so of society and ultimately for the betterment of the nation. Today, the Indian Menopause Society (IMS) is rocking at the national and international levels. The main mission of the IMS is to help a midlife woman lead a healthy, happy life.
Of course, today, everyone is interested in endoscopy and infertility, but at the same time, the proper knowledge of menopause management is also a need of the hour.
I am so lucky that, in 2020, when I was the Secretary General of the IMS, the Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) were updated. This year, as the President of the IMS, we will launch the Updated CPGs 2026.
It gives me great pleasure to share with you the Clinical Practice Guidelines on Menopause (CPG-M 2026), developed under the aegis of the IMS. These guidelines represent a landmark effort to advance evidence-based, context-specific, and holistic care for women during the menopausal transition and postmenopause.
Menopause is no longer viewed merely as a physiological event requiring treatment only when symptoms become troublesome. Contemporary evidence clearly identifies this life stage as a critical window for preventive health interventions, early risk assessment, and long-term well-being. The newly released CPG-M reframes menopause care by integrating global scientific evidence with Indian data and expert consensus, thereby ensuring relevance, feasibility, and scientific rigor for real-world clinical practice in our country.
Recognizing the diversity of healthcare delivery models and population characteristics in India, the CPG-M offers country-specific recommendations that cannot be directly extrapolated from Western guidelines. A major strength of this document is its structured, three-tier healthcare approach and its emphasis on multidisciplinary care, involving gynecologists, physicians, endocrinologists, cardiologists, oncologists, psychologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, and policymakers.
Key objectives of the guidelines are as follows:
Systematic assessment, diagnosis, risk stratification, and individualized management of menopausal women
Supporting primary care physicians with clear referral pathways
Integrating menopausal health into national noncommunicable disease strategies
Promoting the establishment of structured menopause clinics across levels of care
Stimulating research in menopausal medicine, especially in the Indian context.
The document has been developed using a rigorous methodology, including the PICOTS framework, systematic literature searches, expert appraisal, and internal and external peer review.
Recommendations are graded using the GRADE system, ensuring transparency and reliability.
Importantly, the guidelines reflect a balanced and evidence-based approach to menopausal hormone therapy, emphasizing individualized risk–benefit assessment, shared decision-making, and ongoing review.
By adopting these guidelines, healthcare professionals can significantly improve quality of care, facilitate early detection of chronic diseases, strengthen preventive health strategies, and contribute to healthy aging in women. Despite gaps in Indian research data, the CPG-M lays a strong foundation for future studies and policy initiatives.
I strongly encourage all clinicians and stakeholders involved in women’s health to read, use, and widely disseminate these guidelines, so that together we can move closer to the IMS vision: “Fit @ Forty, Strong @ Sixty, and Independent @ Eighty,” which I have elaborated.
“Fit @ 40, Fancy @ 50, Strong @ 60, Sexy @ 70, Independent @ 80, Naughty @ 90, and Healthy @ 100.”
With best wishes,
Dr. Anita Shah