Menopause

Excerpt

Menopause refers to the natural and permanent cessation of menstruation caused by estrogen deficiency unrelated to a pathologic process. The term menopause derives from the Greek words pausis, meaning pause, and men, meaning month. Amenorrhea persisting for 12 months marks the end of a woman’s reproductive and childbearing period. Natural menopause commonly occurs between ages 45 and 56, with a median age of 51 years in the United States.

Vasomotor symptoms affect most women during the menopausal transition, although menopause influences multiple organ systems, including urogenital, psychogenic, and cardiovascular systems. This review discusses hormonal and nonhormonal treatment approaches as well as complications associated with menopause. Increasing life expectancy results in women spending approximately 40% of their lives in the postmenopausal stage, which corresponds to more than 30 years for many individuals.