Press Play Newsletter | February 2025

4 minute read

Metluma exists so you can Press Play on menopause, your way.

A WORD FROM GEORGIE & DR. NIC

This month at Metluma, we’re talking symptoms – how they show up, how we track them (or don’t), and why understanding your own body is the key to better health outcomes

I heard a story recently from one of our patients about changing the time of day that she popped her MHT pill – she said it was life-changing! This little hormone hack didn’t come from her own GP or Pharmacist, but it sure got me thinking, why didn’t it? It was yet another moment that spoke to the personalised aspect of peri-/menopause care, the importance of having access to the right people and how digital health can play such an important role if you also add in tracking to get real-time insights. There just isn’t a one-size-fits-all, no matter how much the health care system wants there to be!

In other news, with a Federal Election looming and parties keen to show they give a sh$t (about votes, ah-hem), we saw the announcement regarding the half a billion dollar investment in women’s health. With Albo and Dutton both committing the cash. Yes, there’s reason to celebrate, and yes, it’s a lot of money, but it was glaringly obvious yet again that digital health innovation was missing. Am I sounding like a broken record yet?

So, instead of waiting, we’re delivering change that’s actually scalable. In the coming weeks, we’ll be launching our FREE UMA40 – our new symptom-tracking tool designed to help women over 40 take charge of their health.

In the meantime, happy reading!

Georgie & Nic

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WHAT’S HOT: ICYMI – $573M women’s health investment announced.

Are we really treating the symptoms of a broken health system?

From tomorrow, menopause treatments like Estradiol and Progesterone will finally be available on PBS, and from July 1, a new rebate for extended menopause health assessments kicks in. The $573M investment is big bucks, and these are big wins, but a relatively small step forward in terms of the bigger picture issues.

The addition of IUDs, birth control implants, and two new contraceptive pills to the PBS is also a promising shift and the first change in three decades to the original OCPs that have been listed on the PBS – yes, 30 years!

Healthcare practitioner training, community awareness campaigns and national clinical guidelines are also part of the half-a-billion-dollar package.

BUT does throwing money at an unscalable solution really deliver the best outcomes for women across the country? We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again… where is the digital health innovation in this plan?

You can read more background info on the government health website and at SBS news.

Read our response to the announcement

NEW RESEARCH: HOW EXERCISE FIGHTS BRAIN FOG

Don’t press that snooze button! Turns out, a workout might be the best reset button – boosting memory, speed, and even long-term health.

The reason exercise improves brain function (including memory and speed) is probably by increasing insulin sensitivity, reveals new research. Why is this a menopause motivator?

Hormonal changes at menopause mean women are more likely to experience insulin resistance and issues with memory and concentration
Insulin resistance is also linked to developing prediabetes, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and potentially dementia – and we know our risk for these can go up due to menopause, too
“It’s great to see how exercise is doing double duty here,” says Dr Nic, “by tackling brain fog and helping to reduce longer term health risks.”

Dig into the Rutgers University team discoveries

“DR NIC WILL SEE YOU NOW” – MENOPAUSE SYMPTOM SPOTLIGHT

Menopause is so much more than hot flushes.

Do you sometimes feel like the menopause stats and facts just don’t add up to your experience? Or you’re primed to expect something and it doesn’t happen for you? “Research often talks about the average, so it can be hard to see just how individual menopause experiences really are,” says Dr Nic. Don’t lose confidence asking for the help you need, just because your experience doesn’t ‘fit’ the common ideas about menopause. We’re all unique!

Read Dr Nic’s lowdown on the key factors that mean personalised menopause support is crucial – including the 40 (yes, 40!) symptoms any one of us could have in any combination.