Menopause genes result in billion-dollar loss for society A new assessment indicates that society loses four billion Danish kroner each year in work earnings due to women’s genes at menopause. This emerges from an estimate presented to the Danish Parliament’s health committee, as reported by Berlingske. The costs are due to work absenteeism related to menopausal symptoms, equivalent to approximately 10,200 lost full-time work years. An annual full-time work year is defined as the work of one person for one year. The estimate comes from Lasse Gliemann, the vice head of the Department of Nutrition and Sports at the University of Copenhagen. According to Gliemann, around a third of women in menopause experience symptoms that reduce their work performance. These symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, and sleep problems. – It’s about significant and often overlooked problems. Some women live for years with only three hours of continuous sleep, says Lasse Gliemann to Berlingske. He points out that it significantly affects quality of life, and for the most severely affected quarter, it should be considered a disease. Menopause typically affects women aged 45-55 years, around the time of their last menstruation. Gliemann emphasizes the need for research into possible solutions. For example, he suggests that workplaces could consider lowering the temperature or allowing telecommuting after a bad night’s sleep. Currently, the estimate is being followed up with a comprehensive nationwide survey to map women’s experiences of menopausal symptoms and their impact on work performance. This effort hopes to shed light on an area that has been previously underexplored, thus creating better understanding and management of menopause’s impact on the workplace.

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