Introduction

So this is menopause. You are 52 years old and have not had a period in a year. That’s good. You are still having some hot flashes, but generally they are not too bad. You wake up early too often, and that makes you tired during the day. What worries you is this – your mother is 77. She just fell and broke her hip. Her doctor says she has osteoporosis. What can you do to keep that from happening to you in the future?

Doctors sometimes prescribe the hormones estrogen and progestin, in a treatment called hormone replacement therapy (HRT), to ease the signs of menopause. It may also protect you against more serious illness in the future. Many women take HRT. Some women should not. It may or may not be the right choice for you.

First, it’s a good idea to know what happens to your body with menopause. At this time, your body makes less of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone. After menopause, you are free from concerns about monthly menstrual periods and getting pregnant. But during the years around menopause you might have annoying symptoms. These may include hot flashes (a sudden flush or warmth, often followed by sweating), sleep problems, or vaginal dryness. Many women have little or no trouble with menopause. Some have moderate to severe discomfort.

Estrogen loss also puts you at risk for more serious health problems. These include heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women over the age of 50. It kills more women than lung and breast cancer combined.

Bone loss is common as people age. However, if there is a great loss, osteoporosis may develop. This is a serious condition. Bones weaken and break easily. It threatens about 28 million Americans. Eighty percent of them are women, and most are over 50 years of age.