All Menopause Articles

How a woman takes replacement hormones may affect her risk of heart attack, Danish researchers say. Dr. Ellen Lokkegaard, a gynecologist at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, led an observational study of 698,098 healthy Danish women, ages 51 to 69, who were followed between 1995 to 2001. The study, published in the European Heart Journal, found that overall there was no Read more...

U.S. researchers suggest hypnotic relaxation therapy may help decrease hot flashes in menopausal women. The effects of hot flashes -- such as loss of sleep -- also significantly decreased in the majority of women receiving hypnosis, says lead investigator Gary Elkins of Baylor University, Waco, Texas. The study, published online in The Journal of Clinical Oncology, involved 26 breast Read more...

Karen Turner calls it "The Big Fat M." Menopause has affected her moods, her body temperature and her weight. Especially her weight. "It has been like heck to get it off," she says of her "belly weight." "There's that middle section that just nothing helps, unless you go and suck it out and cheat and have the money to do it," says Turner, Read more...

More than two thirds of women between the ages of 50-70 have suffered from symptoms that affected their ability to be intimate with their partners, and the majority of those woman say they never anticipated physical changes would occur, according to a newly released "Sex, Menopause & Relationships" survey, sponsored by Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and conducted by Harris Read more...

More than two thirds of women between the ages of 50 – 70 have suffered from symptoms that affected their ability to be intimate with their partners, and the majority of those women say they never anticipated physical changes would occur, according to a newly released "Sex, Menopause & Relationships" survey, sponsored by Duramed Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and conducted by Harris Read more...

See also: desire, menopause, painful sex, sex drive, sexual challenges, vaginal dryness

Sep. 23 -- Acupuncture may be just as effective as drug therapy for treating hot flashes in breast cancer patients with premature menopause, according to a study released today from the Henry Ford Health Systems. The treatment could be a better option for women who enter early menopause because of chemotherapy and cannot be treated with an estrogen-replacement medication, said Dr. Eleanor Read more...

September is "National Menopause Awareness Month" and SleepBetter.org, an educational Web site dedicated to helping people sleep better, is offering the 40 million American women of menopausal age -- and the more than 1 million more joining their ranks annually -- helpful tips for obtaining a more restful night's sleep during this time in their lives. "Sleep difficulties are a Read more...

Sep. 6 -- Yale scientists have identified a molecular pathway in the brain that estrogen uses to improve memory, suggesting the possibility of designing hormone-free drugs to bolster learning and thinking in postmenopausal women. Menopausal women could take such medications to preserve cognition without facing side effects that accompany hormone replacement therapy. The research, Read more...

QUESTION: Is it true that menopause causes weight gain? ANSWER: The correlation between menopause and increased body fat levels continues to be studied. Many women report experiencing weight gain around the time of menopause and in the years after. The average age of menopause is 51, and life expectancy for women is 80 years. It is true that hormonal changes, such as the loss of Read more...

Researchers at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago say difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep increase as women go through menopause. The study, published in the July journal Sleep, also said that waking up earlier than planned also increases through late perimenopause -- before menopause -- but decreases when women become postmenopausal. Principal investigator Dr. Howard Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPH Not long ago, the medical community promoted HRT as something that could help postmenopausal women reduce their risk of heart disease. Now research suggests that HRT might not help reduce the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women and might even increase it. How do you make sense of it all? Cardiovascular disease, primarily coronary artery disease , is the leading Read more...

Menopause is a natural part of a woman’s life cycle. It is characterized by the cessation of monthly menstrual periods and the end of the ability to bear children. Most women reach menopause in their mid-40s to mid-50s, but some experience menopause earlier as the result of genetics, certain health conditions, surgical removal of the ovaries, or other factors. At menopause, your body produces Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPH Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often used on a short-term basis for the relief of unpleasant menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and irritability. On a long-term basis, many women have used HRT based on doctors’ assumptions that it would reduce their risk of osteoporosis and heart disease . However, results of recent studies on Read more...

As told to Laurie Rosenblum, MPHJackie is a 51-year-old woman working in landscape design and home repairs. She recently separated from her husband of 32 years, and has two young adult daughters who live on the other side of the country.What was your first sign that something was wrong? What symptoms did you experience, and how did you cope at that time? My first symptom was night sweats at age Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPHMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Menopause | Resource GuideMenopause is a natural part of life and does not necessarily require "treatment." Decide how to best proceed by talking with your healthcare provider. A treatment plan must be considered on an individual basis—also Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPHMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Menopause | Resource GuideYou have a unique medical history. Therefore, it is essential to talk with your doctor or healthcare provider about your personal risk factors and/or experience with menopause. By talking openly and regularly with your Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPHMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Menopause | Resource GuideFluctuating levels of estrogen and progesterone can cause a variety of symptoms. Because each woman experiences menopause differently, some have many symptoms and some have very few. Severity of symptoms also varies a Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPHMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Menopause | Resource GuideThe purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. Screening tests are usually administered to people without current symptoms, but who may be at high risk for certain diseases or conditions.Because menopause is Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPHMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Menopause | Resource GuideA risk factor is something that increases your likelihood of getting a disease or condition.Menopause is a natural process, which usually occurs around the age of 50. However, if the normal menstrual cycle is interrupted Read more...

by Amy Scholten, MPHMain Page | Risk Factors | Symptoms | Diagnosis | Treatment | Screening | Reducing Your Risk | Talking to Your Doctor | Living With Menopause | Resource GuideBecause menopause is a natural biological event in every woman’s life, there is no way to prevent it from occurring. It will happen.You can, however, take measures designed to reduce your risk of diseases associated Read more...