The menopausal syndrome.

The average life span of women living in the United States is approximately 80 years of age, with one-third of those years spent after menopause. Of the approximately 35-40 million postmenopausal American women, only 10% are currently using estrogen replacement therapy. Atrophy of the genitourinary system may be prevented or reversed with estrogen therapy. In addition, 75% of all postmenopausal women have vasomotor symptoms severe enough to lead them to seek medical consultation. For 65%, these symptoms persist for at least 1 year, and for 20%, the hot flushes are present for more than 5 years. Estrogen replacement therapy is the treatment of choice for the management of vasomotor symptoms, with or without additional behavior symptoms, and should be considered safe for most postmenopausal women. It protects the bones and, most important, the cardiovascular system.