NC° Perimenopause: Clarity in your journey with the NC° Menopause Algorithm

Perimenopause — the transition leading up to menopause — can be a time of significant change, driving a wide range of symptoms including irregular cycles, hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and mood changes. While this is a natural transition, understanding what's happening in your body and regaining control can be challenging without the right tools and information. In this article, we’ll talk about how NC° Perimenopause and the NC° Menopause Algorithm can help you navigate this transitional time with confidence.

Why did we create NC° Perimenopause?

In a survey of almost 5,000 Natural Cycles users over the age of 40, more than 90% of the respondents reported having low to medium knowledge of menopause, and four out of five felt a need for more information and support around perimenopause and menopausal symptoms.

That’s why we at Natural Cycles built NC° Perimenopause, a new app mode designed to help women understand their bodies, adjust their lifestyle, and navigate perimenopause with confidence and clarity.

NC° Perimenopause is powered by the newly developed NC° Menopause Algorithm, built from the ground up by our science team in Geneva, Switzerland. It draws on data from a clinical study on perimenopausal women, the latest developments in perimenopause research, and guidance from leading menopause experts. 

What happens during perimenopause?

Perimenopause is the time leading up to the last menstruation, marking the end of the female reproductive years. This transition typically begins in our 40s, but can start earlier or later, and last up to 10 years. During this time, the body's hormone levels — particularly estrogen — begin to fluctuate more widely. This can lead to a range of symptoms as the body adjusts to the changes. Common experiences include changes in menstrual cycles (becoming irregular, lighter, or heavier), hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood swings, and changes in libido.

Recognizing these symptoms as part of perimenopause, however, is not always straightforward. In fact, our survey found that 86% of women experiencing symptoms didn’t realize they were related to perimenopause. And even once the link is made, the next challenge is determining where you are in the perimenopause journey — a process that can be even more complex.

Why is perimenopause so difficult to assess?

Perimenopause can be challenging to assess, and there is no single test that can definitively confirm it. One major reason is that perimenopause often arrives at a time in life already filled with significant demands. Many may be navigating career peaks, raising teenagers, or caring for aging parents. This means symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, or difficulty concentrating can easily be attributed to these external stressors, rather than the hormonal shifts of perimenopause. It becomes quite challenging to untangle perimenopause symptoms from the general complexities of daily life.

On top of this, a key indicator of perimenopause is changes in your menstrual cycle and period, which might become more irregular, heavier, or even more painful. But without consistent, diligent tracking, these subtle shifts can easily go unnoticed. It's common to only realize your cycle has become significantly irregular well into the transition, making it hard to pinpoint exactly when perimenopause began or how it's progressing.

Finally, while medical professionals do refer to established guidelines for assessment, like the STRAW (Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop) [1], these often only show part of the picture. Some focus heavily on cycle characteristics, while others concentrate solely on symptoms. What’s often missing is a comprehensive approach that combines both the precise changes in your cycle and the symptoms you experience.

Bridging the gap: the NC° Menopause Algorithm

To address the limitations of existing approaches — which often miss the full picture of your evolving perimenopause journey — Natural Cycles developed a new solution: NC° Perimenopause, powered by our NC° Menopause Algorithm. This innovative mode is designed to offer clear, personalized insights into your body's specific changes.

A core capability of NC° Perimenopause is that it lets you actively track daily symptoms (such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, or mood changes), record medical conditions, and note lifestyle factors directly within the app. These comprehensive daily logs are crucial for creating a truly personal and dynamic dataset that provides a holistic view of your unique perimenopause journey.

And what about the algorithm? At its core, the NC° Menopause Algorithm integrates relevant guidelines from established scientific frameworks with the latest developments in perimenopause research. What sets it apart is its ability to combine two key types of data: your cycle data and the comprehensive insights you provide through your daily symptom logging, medical conditions, and lifestyle factors.

By continuously analyzing this rich dataset, the algorithm assesses the likelihood of perimenopause and identifies your probable stage — whether you're in the early, mid, or late phase. Unlike methods that often rely on partial or inaccurate data, the NC° Menopause Algorithm provides a detailed and evolving view by tracking your body's signals as they change over time. This offers a more comprehensive understanding of the physiological shifts that happen in your body than traditional approaches often provide.

This advanced capability means the NC° Menopause Algorithm can often indicate the onset of perimenopause even in its earliest stages. At a time when subtle cycle changes might easily be overlooked or symptoms attributed solely to everyday stressors, the algorithm's sensitivity — powered by Natural Cycles' precise cycle data — can offer valuable early insights. As your journey progresses, its continuous, dynamic analysis ensures accurate indications of your stage, adapting as your body evolves.

Navigate your perimenopause journey with confidence

Understanding your likely perimenopause stage and how it's progressing is empowering. As your symptoms and cycle patterns naturally shift throughout this transition, the NC° Menopause Algorithm dynamically adjusts its assessment to reflect your body's current reality. This personalized and evolving insight provides greater clarity, helping you understand changes, proactively manage your lifestyle, and have informed conversations with your healthcare provider. Natural Cycles aims to be your trusted guide, supporting you with confidence through every step of your perimenopause journey.

Reference:

[1] Soules, Michael R., et al. "Executive summary: stages of reproductive aging workshop (STRAW) Park City, Utah, July, 2001." Menopause 8.6 (2001): 402-407. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e31824d8f40