PETALING JAYA - A clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the management of menopause in the country is officially put in place today.
CPG Committee Chairwoman Dr Premitha Damodaran said the average menopausal age in the country was around 50 years old, hence Malaysian women would spend one-third of their lives without estrogen hormones which did not only include fertility issues but also impacted their physical, social, psychological, sexual and mental state.
She said women who experienced menopause recorded a higher prevalence of serious diseases, including coronary heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
Socio-economic and family problems may also occur since menopause could affect their work, as seen in women in their 50s who quit their job as they suffered from symptoms of menopause such as hot flushes, night sweats, and insomnia.
Dr Premitha also mentioned the localisation of its procedures to suit multi-ethnic women in the country as a unique trait of the guidelines.
She explained that it was crucial for them to look at how the ethnic groups in this country regarded menopause and hormone replacement therapy in order for women to be comfortable talking about this topic.
"What makes this clinical practice guideline unique is the localisation of its procedures to suit our multi-ethnic women.
"While we adopt the guidelines from several international organisations, we consider religious aspects because we understand the role they play in our society.
"Every woman who experiences menopause should not feel ashamed or reluctant to get assistance from healthcare professionals,” she said during the launching of the guidelines.
Malaysian Menopause Society President Dr Ho Choon Moy who is present during the launch said there was a need for raising awareness about menopause and hormone replacement therapy among women in the country.
She revealed that only hundreds of thousands of 1.5 million Malaysian women aged 50 to 59 years are getting hormone replacement therapy due to the fear of the treatment.
"Hormone therapy is not expensive and it is not about the money, it is actually about the fear Malaysian women have that it will increase the risk of breast cancer.
"But there are now many types of hormone therapy and they are safer.
"Those who take the therapy are only about 70 per cent, and awareness is needed to eliminate this unnecessary fear,” she said.
She further said women should be aware that the hormone therapy offered now is different than 20 years ago in terms of their dosage and safety.
Starting the treatment earlier when they were experiencing menopause would make a significant difference in their lives.
If the women could reach out to them, the country would have a healthier generation of menopausal women in the upcoming 20 years, Dr Premitha said.
At the event's launch, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, in a pre-recorded speech, expressed his gratitude for the effort taken to establish the clinical practice guideline for the management of menopause in the country.
"As one of the pioneers in the management of menopause guidelines in Southeast Asia, Malaysia proves our commitment to enhancing our healthcare system.
"From the ministry’s perspective, we aim to support this initiative by driving our efforts to increase awareness surrounding menopause,” he said.
He added that support must be given to encourage and empower the public to openly speak about this topic in a respectful manner and for women to be respected as they play a major role in society regardless of their age.
The CPG Management of Menopause in Malaysia was then subsequently virtually launched by Khairy at One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya, this morning.
With a joint collaboration of the Health Ministry and the Malaysia Medicine Academy, the Obstetrical and Gynaecologist Society of Malaysia as well as the Malaysian Menopause Society, the information pamphlet available in multiple languages covers various information on menopausal symptoms, clinical assessment and investigations, various treatments and their effects, and religious perspectives on menopause.
The guidelines would be made available on various platforms and would be easily accessible via Android and iOS under MyMAHTAS.