Diabetes and the menopause. Special considerations.

The menopause marks an important transition into the last third of a woman's life. It gives the woman and her health professionals an opportunity to review health risks, plan preventive activities, and establish monitoring strategies. This is especially important in women with diabetes because of the compounding menopausal cardiovascular risk and those associated with diabetes. The importance of the menopause is often not appreciated by women with diabetes, nor by their health professionals, and opportunities to avoid future problems may be missed. This article emphasises the importance of cardiovascular protection and the special value of hormone replacement therapy in women with diabetes at and beyond the menopause.