Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Page 85 of the Women’s Health Strategy following the analysis of the call for evidence written evidence submission, what steps his Department has taken to encourage research on the relationship between early menopause and developing Alzheimer’s disease.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health, including the link between early menopause and Alzheimer’s disease. However, the usual practice of NIHR is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics and research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available.

The NIHR expects to commission a new policy research unit dedicated to reproductive health, subject to receiving high quality applications. The new unit will undertake research to inform policy in areas such as menstruation and gynaecological conditions, including menopause. Applications are currently being reviewed and the unit is expected to operate from January 2024. The NIHR is commissioning a menopause research prioritisation exercise, considering research recommendations from a range of experts. Following completion of the exercise, we expect that research will be commissioned in summer 2023.