Data from 2.5 million women across 11 countries underpins a Withings research-led post published on July 28. The April 2026 report calls it the world’s largest real-world dataset on the menopause transition. The analysis spans 8 health domains and 6 reproductive stages.
NHS guidance puts menopause and perimenopause between 45 and 55, though they can happen earlier, and symptoms can spill into daily life, relationships, social life, family life and work. Ethnic background can shape how severe symptoms are and how long they last, and some women notice changes in sleep, recovery or heart-rate patterns before they see a clear cycle change.
Withings’ 2026 analyses found that in 470,000 US women, atrial fibrillation prevalence rose 3.8 times across the menopause transition, from 1.86% in early reproductive years to 7.2% later in the transition, while heart rate variability declined. In a separate analysis of 97,500 British women, systolic blood pressure rose 75% faster than the global average across the transition, British women walked more, slept better and showed a one-third drop in heart rate variability.
Blood pressure, heart-rate variability, sleep and activity all showed up in the datasets, and connected scales, watches and home monitors can surface those markers long before a routine appointment.
Wearable-derived data only captures women already using the hardware, so the picture can miss people who do not track themselves at home. A cross-sectional design can also map associations without proving cause. A July 2017 government report examined menopause and women’s economic participation, and The Fawcett Society’s 2022 study found menopausal women were being let down by employers and healthcare providers.