Most women go through menopause between the ages of 48 and 52. As women grow older, many continue to have active, enjoyable sex lives. However, some women experience a decrease in their sexual response as estrogen levels fall. You and your doctor will need to discuss whether you could benefit from taking estrogen to replace the estrogen that you will lose after menopause, when your ovaries stop functioning. For women who still have their uterus, progesterone is often added to the estrogen program because it reduces risk of cancer of the uterus, a major concern with ERT in the past.
Osteoporosis is a skeletal disorder that reduces bone density, making a woman prone to fractures.
Lack of exercise, family history of the disease, slender body frame, alcoholism, too little calcium in the diet, and cigarette smoking increase the risk. This number increases to 22.4 in 1,000 for women aged 50 to 60. Women at risk include those with angina and hypertension and women who are obese and who smoke heavily. Researchers feel that there may be a direct link between loss of estrogen and production of cholesterol, leading to coronary heart disease. Studies have shown that ERT use in menopausal women produces a more favorable cholesterol pattern.