Revolutionizing Menopause Treatment: ACOG’s Comprehensive New Guidelines
In a significant advancement for women’s health, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has unveiled its most detailed menopause treatment guidelines yet. This is the first significant update since 2014. The new guidelines, released on October 15, 2026, just ahead of World Menopause Day on October 18, cover an extensive array of treatment options for symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disruption, and mood changes, impacting tens of millions of women globally.
The revised guidelines strongly advocate for systemic hormone replacement therapy (HRT)—a combination of estrogen and progestogen—as the primary treatment for vasomotor symptoms in women without contraindications. ACOG recommends initiating HRT before age 60 or within 10 years of natural menopause. ACOG reports that 50–92% of women in menopause experience hot flashes or night sweats, and more than a third of perimenopausal and postmenopausal women worldwide report depressive symptoms.
For women who cannot take hormones, the new guidelines now include nonhormonal options such as fezolinetant (brand name Veozah), elinzanetant (Lynkuet), SSRIs, SNRIs, and gabapentin. Behavioral approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, exercise, and acupuncture also received conditional recommendations. “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,” stated co-author Dr. Robert Kauffman during a press briefing.
Source: ACOG – October 15, 2026