Menopause

This module has been archived and is no longer being updated.

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Introduction

Welcome to the web-based unit on Integrative Approach to Menopause. The material is structured as a supplement to the U-M Department of Family Medicine Residency curriculum on women's health (WHC rotation) and will help you work with your patients in managing the symptoms of menopause.

Components of the unit include:

  • Lists of common symptoms of menopause

  • A discussion of the history of menopausal symptom treatment

  • Discussion of the role of lifestyle in managing menopausal symptoms

  • References to commonly used herbs and supplements for menopausal symptoms

  • Recommendations for integrative therapies that are effective for various symptoms

  • Links to further references

Background and current trends:

  • Women's Health Initiative

    • A set of clinical trials and an observational study involving 161,808 generally healthy postmenopausal women.

    • Launched in 1991, the hormone trial had two studies: the estrogen-plus-progestin study of women with a uterus and the estrogen-alone study of women without a uterus.

    • The studies were designed to test the effects of postmenopausal hormone therapy, diet modification, and calcium and vitamin D supplements on heart disease, fractures, and breast and colorectal cancer.

    • The estrogen plus progestin trial was stopped in July 2002, after investigators found that the associated health risks of the combination hormone therapy outweighed the benefits.

    • Participants were followed for an average of 5.6 years.

  • Results and broad discussion of the WHI findings has led to reduction in the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in postmenopausal women although few effective substitutes have emerged.

  • Up to 50% of symptomatic women who discontinue HRT use integrative medicine (IM) techniques (Kupferer).

Disclaimer: The University of Michigan Health System Web site does not provide specific medical advice and does not endorse any medical or professional service obtained through information provided on this site or any links to this site.

Use of the UMHS web site does not replace medical consultation with a qualified health or medical professional to meet the health and medical needs of you or others.

While the content of the UMHS web site is frequently updated, medical information changes rapidly and therefore, some information may be out of date, and/or contain inaccuracies or typographical errors.

Note: This module was originally developed by U-M Department of Family Medicine integrative medicine fellow, John S. Stracks, M.D., in 2009. It is maintained by faculty member Jill R. Schneiderhan, M.D. Last updated: November February 2017.

Except where otherwise noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial 3.0 License. Details and Exceptions. © 2013 University of Michigan Department of Family Medicine.

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