| Abstrakt: |
The cessation of menstruation is termed the menopause, the median age of which is 51 years in the United Kingdom, whereas the climacteric (or peri-menopause) is the transitional period leading up to this, during which ovarian function ceases and symptoms of ovarian failure may become manifest. The menopausal problems related to this decline in production of oestrogens can be classified into acute vasomotor symptoms (i.e. hot flushes and night sweats), intermediate symptoms (e.g. sleep disturbance, memory loss, and those associated with atrophy of the lower urinary tract and loss of collagen from connective tissue) and the more chronic problems of osteoporosis and ischaemic heart disease. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is potentially effective in treating all problems related to ovarian oestrogen deficiency and is a major and increasing source of exogenous sex hormones in peri- and post-menopausal women. However, it is largely the perceived risks of HRT in |
