Menopause

Excerpt

Menopause is the natural and permanent cessation of menses resulting from estrogen deficiency that is not associated with a pathologic process. The name menopause comes from the Greek words pausis, which means pause, and men, which means month. Amenorrhea lasting for twelve months marks the end of a woman's reproductive, childbearing time. This occurs between the ages of 45 and 56 years in most women. The median age of natural menopause is 51 years in the United States. Most women experience vasomotor symptoms, but menopause can affect many other organ systems, such as urogenital, psychogenic, and cardiovascular. This review presents hormonal and nonhormonal treatments, as well as complications of menopause. As women live longer, they spend roughly 40%of their lives in the postmenopausal years, which equates to more than 30 years for most women.