The Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava have opened the University Menopause centre, the first of its kind in Slovakia. It offers specialised, comprehensive and personalised care for women during perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause.
The centre aims to improve quality of life and help prevent long-term health risks, including osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease.
Perimenopause, the menopausal transition and menopause are stages that every woman experiences differently. According to the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, women aged 45–49 formed the largest five-year female age group in the country at the end of 2024, numbering approximately 218,000. Many women enter or are already experiencing perimenopause during this stage of life.
Perimenopause can bring a wide range of changes, including hot flashes, night sweats, poor sleep, fatigue, mood swings, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, changes in the menstrual cycle, reduced libido, pain during intercourse and joint pain. The experience varies from woman to woman. While some have few noticeable symptoms, others find that the transition significantly affects their health, relationships, work and social lives.
A comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach is essential. When women are well informed, they can recognise problems earlier and seek help in time.
Associate Professor Alexandra Krištúfková, PhD, head of the First Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava, and founder of the centre.
“Perimenopause is not a period that women should simply endure in silence. It deserves attention, because how a woman navigates this stage can lay the foundations for her future health and well-being,” the centre’s experts agree.
The centre offers comprehensive assessments for perimenopause and premature menopause, individualised treatment, ongoing monitoring and prevention of long-term health risks.
Care is provided collaboratively by specialists from several departments:
- Gynaecologists and obstetricians from the First Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava;
- Internists, specialists in bone health, endocrinologists and diabetologists from the Fifth Department of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava;
- Haematologists from the Department of Haematology at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava;
- Breast imaging specialists from the mammography centre within the Department of Radiology at St Cyril and Methodius Hospital.
“Perimenopause is not a disease, nor is it a stage that women must endure in silence. We established the centre so that women have somewhere to turn for advice and answers to questions and concerns they may feel embarrassed to raise elsewhere.
“Perimenopause can cause a wide range of symptoms, many of which are associated with fluctuations in female hormone levels. However, other underlying causes may also be responsible. That is why thorough diagnostic assessment, ruling out other causes, selecting the right treatment, monitoring its effects and adjusting it over time are so important.
“Women experiencing perimenopause have often had to visit several doctors to address their concerns. The University Menopause Centre demonstrates what our departments can achieve by working together: high-quality, comprehensive and multidisciplinary care under one roof. We want University Hospital Bratislava to become a trusted place for women experiencing perimenopausal difficulties,” says Associate Professor Alexander Mayer, PhD, MPH, MHA, director of University Hospital Bratislava.
Research and education
Through its affiliation with the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University, the centre will support research into the effects of perimenopause and menopause on women’s health. It will also provide opportunities to test new treatment and prevention approaches through international clinical studies.
The centre will contribute to the education of medical students, doctors undertaking specialist training in gynaecology and obstetrics, doctors from other specialties and the wider public.
Its educational activities will involve cooperation with the Slovak Society for Endocrinology, Menopause and Andropause (SSEMA), the Slovak Endocrinological Society (SES) and the Society for Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases (SOMOK).
“Perimenopause and menopause remain under-researched areas of medicine. The centre will enable us to collect our own data on the health of Slovak women and translate the latest scientific knowledge directly into clinical practice,” says Professor Juraj Payer, MD, PhD, MPH, FRCP, FEFIM, dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and head of the Fifth Department of Internal Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Comenius University and University Hospital Bratislava.
“Quality care for women during perimenopause begins with education. Thanks to the centre, future doctors and practising physicians will be better equipped to recognise and treat the symptoms and difficulties that can affect women during this stage of life,” adds Professor Peter Jackuliak, MD, PhD, MPH, FEFIM, vice-dean of the Faculty of Medicine responsible for specialist training and certification preparation.
