Postmenopause

“Postmenopause is the time after menopause. As your body adjusts to lower hormone levels, you may have less menopausal symptoms – or they may even disappear… ”.1

Umbrella
What may the Postmenopause Umbrella include?

Depending on the Source (DotS) this Umbrella may include:

  • After/Beyond Menopause
  • Postmenopausal
  • Post Menopause/Post-Menopause/Postmenopause

Definition

What is the definition of postmenopause?

DotS the definition of postmenopause may vary. The International Menopause Society’s (IMS) definition is:

“Postmenopause – the stage after the final menstrual period”.2

The North American Menopause Society’s (NAMS) definition is:

“Postmenopause includes all the years beyond menopause”.3

The Australasian Menopause Society’s definition is:

“When a woman has had no periods for 12 consecutive months, she is considered to be postmenopausal”.4

FMP

What is FMP?

FMP can be an abbreviation for Final Menstrual Period.

Duration

How long does postmenopause last?

Postmenopause – or after menopause – lasts for the rest of our life. On page two in Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Introduction the authors elaborate on:

“As the world population increases, along with an increase in life expectancy, many millions of women will be spending a third or more of their lives after menopause”.5

Postmenopause Differences

Do all women experience the same postmenopause?

No. All women do not experience the same postmenopause. Just as different women have a different perimenopause, different women also have a different postmenopause.

Menopause Symptoms

Do menopause symptoms stop when postmenopause starts?

Not necessarily. The (Australian) Jean Hailes for Women’s Health explain:


“Postmenopause is the time after menopause.

As your body adjusts to lower hormone levels, you may have less menopausal symptoms – or they may even disappear – but some women still experience menopausal symptoms for years after their final period”.6

Chronic Medical Conditions

Is there an association between chronic medical conditions and postmenopause?

In Menopause: Ensuring A Tranquil Transition: Are There Any Health Risks Associated With Menopause? the (United States) Mayo Clinic explain:

“A woman’s risk for these chronic medical conditions can increase after menopause:

  • Cardiovascular disease
    The decline in estrogen increases the risk of heart attack and stroke
  • Osteoporosis
    During the first few years after menopause, women may rapidly lose bone density, leading to an enhanced risk for bone fractures
  • Genitourinary syndrome of menopause
    As vaginal tissues lose elasticity, and becomes thin and dry, women may struggle with pain during intercourse. The urethra also becomes dry and irritated, which may increase the risk of infection. Some women may need to urinate more often and may experience leakage, also known as urinary incontinence
  • Weight gain
    Because of the decrease in basal metabolic rate after menopause, women may need to decrease caloric intake and increase exercise to maintain their weight”.7

Postmenopausal Vaginal Bleeding

What if I have postmenopausal vaginal bleeding?

In Postmenopausal Bleeding: What Causes Postmenopausal Bleeding? the (United States) Cleveland Clinic note:

“Vaginal bleeding during postmenopause isn’t a normal side effect of decreasing hormone levels. In some cases, the dryness in your vagina could cause some light bleeding or spotting after sex. In other cases, it could indicate a condition like endometrial hyperplasia or uterine fibroids, infections like endometritis, or cancer. Contact your healthcare provider if you experience any vaginal bleeding so you can be evaluated”.8

Health Care Provider

What if I would like help with my postmenopause?

If you would like help with your postmenopause, it may be in your best interest to choose to talk to your health care provider about this. The IMS remind us:

“The menopause transition should be used as an opportunity to visit your healthcare professional for a check-up, assess potential risks and proactively start to manage later life. Obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, cognitive decline and dementia, depression, and cancer are the key diseases to address”.9

Health Topics A-Z

Where may I find Health Topics A-Z related to Postmenopause?

In Health Topics A-Z you may find:

Health Topics A-Z

Links

Where may I find Links related to Postmenopause?

Your Country may have Links similar to:

Links

This Links List to third party websites is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Inclusion on this Links List does not imply endorsement or recommendation. Non-inclusion on this Links List does not imply non-endorsement or non-recommendation. Third party websites are not under the control of Meno Martha International Menopause Directory. Third party websites may contain explicit medical images and/or sexual references. Please read Meno Martha International Menopause Directory’s Links Policy before proceeding to a Link. Please contact Webmaster if you experience a problem with a Link.

New or Updated

  1. 8 Myths and Truths About Menopausal Hot Flashes
  2. An Online Survey of Postmenopausal Women To Determine Their Attitudes and Knowledge of the Menopause
  3. Are You Up To Date on Your Preventive Care?
  4. Askearlymenopause.org [Ask EM] [+ Video: What Is Early Menopause?]
  5. BMS Statement on Testosterone
  6. BMS TV: Coronary Heart Disease (CHD)
  7. BMS TV: Testosterone Explained
  8. BMS TV: Urogenital Atrophy
  9. Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
  10. Build Better Bones.org [International Osteoporosis Foundation]
  11. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
  12. Consumer Health: Women’s Health and Living A Longer, Healthier Life
  13. Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
  14. Dr Louise Newson: The Truth About the Menopause & HRT
  15. Endometrial Safety of Low-Dose Vaginal Estrogens
  16. Find A Menopause Practitioner [United States and Other]
  17. Find An AMS Doctor [Australasian Menopause Society i.e. Australia and New Zealand]
  18. Find Your Nearest BMS Menopause Specialist [British Menopause Society]
  19. Goredforwomen.org [Go Red for Women, United States]
  20. Guidance on Menopausal Hormone Therapy
  21. HRT & Menopause Extra
  22. Health After Menopause
  23. Healthy Living By Age: Healthy Living In Your 50s
  24. Heart Disease and Stroke In Women
  25. Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Persons: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions
  26. Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
  27. Hot Flashes
  28. Hot Flashes
  29. Hot Flashes: What Can I Do? [+ Video: What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Menopause?]
  30. How Menopause Impacts Your Health
  31. I Forgot To Ask the Doctor – E9: The Menopause: Can Every Woman That Wants It Have HRT?
  32. Is Menopause Making Me Put on Weight? No, But It’s Complicated
  33. Joint Position Statement By the British Menopause Society, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and Society for Endocrinology on Best Practice Recommendations for the Care of Women Experiencing the Menopause
  34. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – After the Menopause
  35. Later Years (Around 50 Years and Over): Menopause and Post Menopause Health – Sexual Wellbeing, Intimacy and Menopause [+ Video: Menopause Is the End of Your Sex Life]
  36. Life’s Essential 8
  37. Live Long, Be Well: Science-Based Tips for Healthy Aging
  38. Living Well With A Chronic Condition
  39. Maintaining A Healthy Diet and Weight
  40. Mayo Clinic Minute: Combating Weight Gain During Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  41. Mayo Clinic Minute: Help With Hot Flashes Due To Menopause [+ Video]
  42. Mayo Clinic Minute: How Lifestyle Changes May Help Manage Menopause Symptoms [+ Video]
  43. Mayo Clinic Minute: Menopause and Sexual Health [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  44. Mayo Clinic Minute: Menopause and the Heart Connection [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  45. Mayo Clinic Minute: Relationship Between Food, Disease Stronger Than You May Think
  46. Mayo Clinic Q&A Podcast: Tips for Living Younger, Longer By Preventing Disease [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network]
  47. Menopause
  48. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – My Personal Path Print Tools: Symptom Tracker
    Postmenopause
  49. Menopause Map: Downloadable Resources – Stages of Menopause: Postmenopause
    Postmenopause
  50. Menopause Patient Information [Videos] 2. Talking To Your GP About Menopause
  51. Menopause Preparedness Toolkit Video Series: Common Conditions Associated with Menopause and Midlife
  52. Menopause Symptoms: Mayo Clinic Expert Outlines Hormone and Nonhormonal Therapies
  53. Menopause Treatments: What Works, What Doesn’t
  54. Menopause: Ensuring A Tranquil Transition
  55. Menopause: Understanding the Changes and Finding Relief | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 256
  56. Mymenoplan.org [My Menoplan, United States]
  57. Navigating Menopause: Expert Insights and Solutions | Dr Susan Davis | The Proof Podcast EP 245
  58. Nonhormone Treatments for Hot Flashes and Night Sweats
  59. Osteoporosis
  60. Pathtogoodbonehealth.org [Your Path To Good Bone Health, Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation, United States]
    Postmenopause
  61. People Who Follow These 8 Heart Health Metrics May Live Years Longer
  62. Postmenopausal Heart Health: What To Expect
  63. Postmenopause
  64. Postmenopause: Symptoms and Impact
  65. Prosayla Supported By ISSWSH [International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health]
  66. Screening for Osteoporosis
  67. Severe Hot Flashes After Menopause Increase Metabolic Syndrome Risk In Women, Finds Long-Term Study
  68. Staying Healthy During and After Menopause
  69. Taking It To Heart: Addressing Cardiovascular Disease In Women
  70. Testosterone and the Menopause
  71. The Benefits and Risks of Menopause Hormone Therapy for the Cardiovascular System In Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
  72. The Connection Between Menopause and Cardiovascular Disease Risks
  73. The Reality of Menopause Weight Gain
  74. Therapy for the Effects of Menopause
  75. Tip Sheet: What To Know About Post-Menopause Health Risks
  76. Tips To Help Manage Menopause Symptoms
  77. Top 4 Tips To Prevent Chronic Diseases
  78. Using Natural Therapies In the Menopause Transition – Webinar
  79. Vaginal Dryness
  80. Vaginal Dryness After Menopause: How To Treat It?
  81. Vaginal Dryness: What To Do About It
  82. Video Series-2022: Hormone Therapy: Understanding the Risks and Benefits
  83. Video Series-2023: Life Expectancy: Do We Have Control?
  84. Video Series-2023: NAMS 2023 Nonhormone Therapies Position Statement for Bothersome Menopause Symptoms
  85. Video Series-2023: New FDA-Approved Nonhormone Option for the Treatment of Hot Flashes
  86. Video Series-2023: Premature and Early Menopause
  87. Video: Menopause Symptoms May Be Associated With Later Health Risks
  88. Videos & Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Cardiovascular Disease In Women
  89. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: A Simple Approach To Menopause: The Menopause Quick Six (www.MQ6.ca)
  90. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: Heart Disease, Risk Factors of Developing Heart Disease, and Can I Take Hormones?
  91. Videos and Podcasts: Videos – Interviews: How To Protect Your Brain Health At Menopause and Beyond
  92. Want To Live Longer? Exercise Is Key, Study Confirms
  93. Webinars: Previous – Approach To Bone Health In the Perimenopause and Postmenopause?
  94. Webinars: Previous – Cardiovascular Disease
  95. Webinars: Previous – Reproductive Milestones Across the Lifespan and Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Women
  96. What To Expect In Each Stage of Menopause
  97. Women’s Health and Aging: Expert Q&A
  98. World Menopause Day [18 October 2023]
    Postmenopause
  99. World Menopause Day: Patient Information Leaflet – Cardiovascular Disease: What Women Need To Know [Multiply Languages]
  100. You Need To Know [+ Video: Bleeding After the Menopause – An Important Message You Need To Know]

    Postmenopause

Sources

Where may I find the Sources quoted?

You may find the Sources quoted at:

Sources

  1. What Is Menopause? The Menopause Transition – Postmenopause. Last Updated: 18 January 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause#the-menopause-transition Accessed: 28 January 2024
  2. Menopause Terminology: Glossary of Terms. Page 4. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/education/menopause-terminology/ Accessed: 28 January 2024
  3. Menopause FAQs: An Introduction To Menopause – Q. What Is Postmenopause? North American Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org/for-women/menopause-faqs-an-introduction-to-menopause Accessed: 28 January 2024
  4. What Is Menopause? Content Created May 2022. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/185-what-is-menopause Accessed: 28 January 2024
  5. Lobo, R. A., Davis, S. R., De Villiers, T. J., Gompel, A., Henderson, V. W., Hodis, H. N., Lumsden, M. A., Mack, W. J., Shapiro, S. and Baber, R. J. Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Introduction. 2014:2 https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/wmd-2014-white-pages-english.pdf Accessed: 28 January 2024
  6. What Is Menopause? The Menopause Transition – Postmenopause. Last Updated: 18 January 2024 | Last Reviewed: 19 August 2022. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://www.jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause#the-menopause-transition Accessed: 28 January 2024
  7. Menopause: Ensuring A Tranquil Transition: Are There Any Health Risks Associated With Menopause? 26 April 2023. Mayo Clinic https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/menopause-ensuring-a-tranquil-transition/ Accessed: 28 January 2024
  8. Postmenopausal Bleeding: What Causes Postmenopausal Bleeding? Last Reviewed 05 October 2021. Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21837-postmenopause Accessed: 28 January 2024
  9. Maintaining Health and Preventing Disease After the Menopause. 2014:2. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/wmd-2014-leaflet-english.pdf Accessed: 28 January 2024
Topic Last Updated: 28 January 2024 – Topic Last Reviewed: 28 January 2024

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