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Menopause and Work Ability

Menopause and Work Ability

By: Holly L. Thacker, MD • Posted on November 11, 2025

Menopause is Different for Each Woman - And not everything that may be an issue is hormonal.

Menopause and perimenopause are having a shining moment. Menopause is a natural life event, but so is childbirth and so is death, and all of these lifecycle events may need assistance.

Menopause may or may not cause symptoms, and may or may not be a hormonally deficient state. It all depends. What is certain is that you don’t want to end up wearing Depends! 

Seriously, whether a woman has symptoms depends on the following:

  • Genetics
  • Ovarian and adrenal reserve
  • Metabolism
  • Lifestyle
  • How a woman is ‘wired’ (some women are not wired to 'flash')
  • What other medical conditions a woman may have
  • What medications a woman is on

You do not want to age any faster than normal and you don't want to have a higher burden of disease interfere with your work and life productivity. And you definitely do not want to shorten your lifespan - you want to: Be Strong. Be Healthy. And Be in Charge!  

As an anti-aging menopause expert, I am interested in helping you increase your health span and also your lifespan. Many women live longer than their male counterparts, but they don't have a longer health span, meaning they are ill and frail for several years before they pass on.

Untreated Menopausal Symptoms Reduce Work Ability

Not all women’s brain thermostats perceive drops or fluctuations in estrogen levels. If a woman has symptoms and she doesn’t get treatment, her physical function suffers.

A large, longitudinal study called the SWAN study (the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation) concluded that substantial physical disability occurs in post-menopausal women. It is very concerning that a rapid decline in the rate of many women’s work ability occurs at age 51 - the peak time for menopausal onset. Many chronic illnesses are also diagnosed at midlife, which should be the peak work-productive time for a woman. Labor statistics reveal that about 70% of women are in the workforce prior to menopause, and after menopause, this plummets to 30% - largely because of untreated symptoms.

Low Levels of Estrogen Post-Menopause Can be a Huge Problem

Absence of estrogen after menopause plays a role in the following conditions:

Certainly, many of these chronic illnesses are influenced by lifestyle, genetics and non-hormonal factors. However, it is important for both physicians, allied health care clinicians and patients themselves to realize that this normal lifecycle of transitioning from a cycling reproductive-aged woman to a non-cycling midlife woman is one of potential risk.

It has become increasingly clear that untreated menopausal symptoms reduce work ability! Anything that affects work productivity affects your pocketbook and your family’s economic stability. So, while you may think your sleepless nights from night sweats, brain fog and overactive bladder are just minor nuisances associated with normal aging, they are potentially serious harbingers of your productivity and your livelihood. 

So if you have symptoms, grab your purse and head straight to your women's health clinician to get evaluated and to get treated. If you have a chronic illness, are a cancer survivor, have a high-risk condition and/or your physician tells you there is nothing to be done - then be sure to find yourself a specialized women's health menopause expert. You must advocate for yourself!

Be Strong. Be Healthy. Be in Charge!
-Holly L. Thacker, MD

Holly L. Thacker, MD, FACP is nationally known for her leadership in women’s health. She is the founder of the Cleveland Clinic Women’s Health Fellowship and is currently the Professor and Director of the Center for Specialized Women’s Health at Cleveland Clinic and Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. Her special interests are menopause and related medical problems including osteoporosis, hormone therapy, breast cancer risk assessment, menstrual disorders, female sexual dysfunction and interdisciplinary women’s health. Dr. Thacker is the Executive Director of Speaking of Women’s Health and the author of Women’s Health: Your Body, Your Hormones, Your Choices and Cleveland Clinic Guide to Menopause.

Dr. Thacker, menopause, menopause and work productivity, menopause symptoms, midlife women, night sweats, weight gain, women, women's health, hot flashes, dr. holly thacker, perimenopause, postmenopause

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