The postmenopausal decrease in estrogen can lead to heart disease. Women who take estrogen may reduce their risk of heart disease by as much as 35 percent to 50 percent. More than 40 percent of women will die from cardiovascular disease, she said. In the Western world, menopause occurs at a median age of 51.4 years but can happen anytime between the ages of 40 and 58. Some women reach menopause in their 30s and a few in their 60s, according to information from the North American Menopause Society.
Many women report a sense of freedom.
Others feel ambivalent and a real sense of sadness in closing out their reproductive years. For information on the next School of Nursing breakfast seminar, call Bart Harst at 567-3833.