As medical advances continue and our life span lengthens, most women will spend approximately one-third of their lives in the post menopause state. When menopause is complete, many symptoms such as hot flashes and mood swings disappear or are radically reduced. There are, however, other health issues to be monitored in the post menopause years.

Post Menopause Osteoporosis

The body is constantly losing and replacing cells, including bone cells. For many post-menopausal women, the replacement process can't keep up and the result it thin, fragile bones. This loss of bone cells, known as osteoporosis, usually has no symptoms until a bone is broken. It is wise for women in post menopause to get a regular bone scan, an easy, painless test, to monitor their bone density. Supplements of calcium and Vitamin D are highly recommended, as is a regular program of weight-bearing exercise.

Younger women have a lower incidence of heart disease than men, but that changes in the post menopause years. Many women are unaware that heart disease causes more deaths than breast cancer, and is in fact the number one cause of death in post-menopausal women. You and your physician should monitor your blood pressure and cholesterol regularly. A heart-healthy diet, smoking cessation and regular exercise will lower your risk of heart disease. It is also important to maintain a healthy weight.

Body fat in post-menopausal women is 20% higher than during their premenopausal years. Women also tend to lose nearly 4% of their muscle mass during the first few years after menopause. Some recent studies have recommended the use of androgen to add muscle mass and possibly help prevent bone loss. However, the possibility of serious side effects has not made androgen therapy widely accepted, and many feel that regular exercise can provide the same benefits without the risk.