Menopausal changes are part of the normal female life cycle. Instead of being a disease, a catastrophe, an unnatural or pathological condition, it can be an unobtrusive, important event in a continuum of a fulfilled life. With changing population demographics, 30 million American women are currently postmenopausal and can expect to spend almost one-third of their lives in this state. Only 10% of these receive hormone replacement therapy. Heightened interest in the physiology of menopause has led to knowledge of established connections between hormonal changes and a host of conditions that significantly contribute to morbidity and mortality for this growing segment of the population. Among these medical conditions are an increased risk of heart disease (risk ratio 2.2), osteoporosis with subsequent pathological fractures (28 million with osteoporosis and osteopenia), vasomotor symptoms with hot flashes (67% in one study), mood swings, vaginal dryness, loss of libido, sleep disorders, urinary incontinence, etc. Conventional approaches to menopause have traditionally utilized exogenous hormone replacement with growing concern over the validity of this method. In contrast to these concerns, lifestyle measures already recommended from a public health perspective have numerous salutary effects that are often not placed in the context of addressing menopausal changes. The medical literature provides strong support for the theory that physical exercise, dietary and other habit interventions (including caffeine, tobacco and alcohol use), and psychosocial and spiritual factors should be utilized as first line therapies in addressing menopausal changes and improving quality of life as well as longevity.
Learning Objectives: Participants will be able to describe the morbidity and mortality associated with menopausal changes; list four conditions of public health significance whose prevalence is increased by virtue of the hormonal changes associated with menopause; provide rationale for the use of at least four different lifestyle interventions in the control of menopausal signs and symptoms.
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.