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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffSeveral chronic medical conditions can develop after menopause:
- Cardiovascular disease. When your estrogen levels decline, your risk of cardiovascular disease increases. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women as well as in men.
- Osteoporosis. This condition causes bones to become brittle and weak, leading to an increased risk of fractures. During the first few years after menopause, you may lose bone density at a rapid rate, increasing your risk of osteoporosis. Postmenopausal women are especially susceptible to fractures of their hips, wrists and spine.
- Urinary incontinence. As the tissues of your vagina and urethra lose their elasticity, you may experience a frequent, sudden, strong urge to urinate, followed by an involuntary loss of urine (urge incontinence), or the loss of urine with coughing, laughing or lifting (stress incontinence). Strengthening pelvic floor muscles with Kegel exercises or using a topical vaginal estrogen may help relieve symptoms of incontinence.
- Weight gain. Many women gain weight during the menopausal transition. You may need to eat less — perhaps as many as 200 to 400 fewer calories a day — and exercise more, just to maintain your current weight.
References
- Bradshaw KD. Menopausal transition. In: Schorge JO, et al. Williams Gynecology. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=3158526. Accessed June 15, 2011.
- Manson JE, et al. The menopausal transition and postmenopausal hormone therapy. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2881945. Accessed June 15, 2011.
- Menopause. National Institute on Aging. http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/menopause.htm. Accessed June 15, 2011.
- Cedars MI, et al. Menopause. In: Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:725.
- Col NF, et al. In the clinic: Menopause. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2009;150:ITC4.
- Gass MLS. Menopause. In: Hillard PJA. The 5-Minute Obstetrics and Gynecology Consult. Philadelphia, Pa.: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008:292.
- National Institutes of Health state-of-the-science conference statement: Management of menopause-related symptoms. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2005;142:1003.
- Cohen BE, et al. Feasibility and acceptability of restorative yoga for treatment of hot flushes: A pilot trial. Maturitas: The European Menopause Journal. 2007;56:198.
- Chattha R, et al. Treating the climacteric symptoms in Indian women with an integrated approach to yoga therapy: A randomized control study. Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society. 2008;15:862.
- Innes KE, et al. Mind-body therapies for menopausal symptoms: A systematic review. Maturitas. 2010;66:135.
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