“Postmenopause is the time after menopause. A woman can experience menopausal symptoms in postmenopause. How long this continues varies for each woman”.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 World Health Organization’s and the International Menopause Society’s (IMS) definition is:
“Postmenopause – the term postmenopause is defined as dating from the FMP, regardless of whether the menopause was induced or spontaneous”.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. This means we may be postmenopausal for 30 years – more or less – if we live from menopause at 50ish, until 80ish.
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. A woman can experience menopausal symptoms in postmenopause. How long this continues varies for each woman”.6
Chronic Conditions
Is there an association between chronic conditions and postmenopause?
On page three in Prevention of Diseases After Menopause: Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases After Menopause the authors note:
“After menopause, several chronic diseases may emerge, usually by the sixth decade, and these include obesity and metabolic disease, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and arthritis, dementia and cognitive decline, and cancer. An important opportunity exists at the onset of menopause to prevent or attenuate these chronic diseases which have an onset approximately 10 years later”.7
The same authors of Prevention of Diseases After Menopause also note:
“Some of these conditions (cardiovascular disease) accelerate in women after menopause, and others (cancer) increase as a function of age in both men and women”.8
Prevention
Postmenopause, how may chronic disease be prevented?
The authors of Prevention of Diseases After Menopause explain:
For all women, lifestyle measures (diet and exercise), control of body weight, mentally stimulating activity and regular screening for cancer should be carried out. As part of this armamentarium, MHT should be considered, particularly in symptomatic women. Beyond this, the identification of specific risks (e.g. osteoporosis) may warrant more specific prevention therapy”.9
What is MHT?
MHT can be an abbreviation for Menopausal Hormone Therapy or Hormone Therapy (HT).
On page four in Maintaining Health and Preventing Disease After the Menopause for World Menopause Day 2014, the International Menopause Society list their Top 10 Prevention Tips for Chronic Disease in Later Life.
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”.10
Health Topics A-Z
Where may I find Health Topics related to Postmenopause?
In Health Topics A-Z you may find:
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.- Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
- Bioidentical Hormones Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Bioidentical Hormones: Are They Safer?
- Causes of Low Libido In Postmenopausal Women [Video]
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Postmenopause
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for Menopausal Symptoms
- Complementary Medicine Options for Menopausal Symptoms
- Complementary and Alternative Therapies Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Current Treatment Options for Postmenopausal Vaginal Atrophy
- Deciding About Hormone Therapy Use
- Does Osteoporosis Run In Your Family?
- Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month [September, United States]
- Goredforwomen.org [Go Red for Women, United States]
- HRT and Alternatives
- HRT and Breast Cancer: Overall Risks and Benefits Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- HRT and the Risk of Breast Cancer Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Health After Menopause
- Healthy Living By Age: Healthy Living In Your 50s
- Healthy Living By Age: Healthy Living In Your 60s
- Healthy Living By Age: Healthy Living In Your 70s
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Hormone Therapy In Postmenopausal Women: Primary Prevention of Chronic Conditions
- Hormone Therapy: Is It Right for You?
- Hot Flashes: Manage Without Medication?
- Hot Flashes: What Can I Do?
- How Much Postmenopause Weight Gain Can Be Blamed on Weight-Promoting Medications?
- Incontinence – Lifting the Lid on Leakage
- Infographic: Treat Your Heart As A House
- Information About Menopause [Multiply Languages] [Videos]
- Is It Too Late To Start HRT At 60? – Ask Dr Jean
- Lifestyle and Behaviour Changes for Menopausal Symptoms
- Lifestyle and Behavioural Modifications for Menopausal Symptoms
- Maintaining Your Weight and Health During and After Menopause
- Making Sense of Menopausal Hormone Therapy Means Understanding the Benefits As Well As the Risks
- Management of Urinary Incontinence In Postmenopausal Women: An EMAS Clinical Guide [European Menopause and Andropause Society]
- Managing Menopausal Symptoms After Breast Cancer – A Guide for Women [Booklet]
- Managing Menopause: Don’t Let Symptoms of Menopause Reduce Your Quality of Life
- Mayo Clinic Minute: What Is Heart Disease? [+ Video]
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: New Shingles Vaccine Recommended for Most Adults Over Age 50
- Mayo Clinic Q and A: Who Should Have A Bone Density Test?
- Mayo Mindfulness: Self-Awareness, Mindfulness and Self-Management Can Impact Chronic Diseases
- Menopause
- Menopause
- Menopause & Herbs
- Menopause FAQs: An Introduction To Menopause – Q. What Is Postmenopause?
- Menopause FAQs: Your Health After Menopause
- Menopause Hormone Therapy: Who Shouldn’t Take It?
- Menopause Map: Postmenopause [+ En Español]
- Menopause Matters
- Menopause and Heart Disease
- Menopause and Women’s Health In Later Life
- Menopause – How Will It Affect My Health? [Multiply Languages] [Video]
- Menopause – Is Menopausal Hormone Therapy (HRT) Safe? [Multiply Languages] [Video]
- Menopause – Will It Affect My Sex Life? [Multiply Languages] [Video]
- Menopause, Perimenopause, and Postmenopause: Can I Get Pregnant If I Am Postmenopausal?
- Menopause: Diagnosis and Management – Information for the Public: Questions To Ask About Menopause [NICE Guideline]
- Menopause: Getting Older [Video Interview Stories]
- Menopause: Menopause – Hormone Treatments
- Menopause: Overview [Video Interview Stories]
- Menopause: Profiles – Postmenopausal [Video Interview Stories]
- My Life Check | Life’s Simple 7
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Menopausal Symptoms: In Depth
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Safe Use of Complementary Health Products and Practices
- National Osteoporosis Month [May, United States]: 31 Ways To Stay Bone Strong
- National Wear Red Day
- Natural Therapies & Supplements
- News Flash About Hot Flashes: They Can Last Longer Than You Think [+ Video]
- Non-Hormonal Treatment Options for Menopausal Symptoms
- NonHormonal Treatments for Menopausal Symptoms
- Osteoporosis Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- Postmenopausal Bleeding
- Risks and Benefits of MHT/HRT
- Severe Postmenopausal Symptoms Decrease Quality of Life, But Can Be Treated
- Sex & Relationships: 5 Things To Know About Sex In Later Life [Video]
- Sex and Menopause: Treatment for Symptoms
- The 2020 Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause Position Statement of The North American Menopause Society
- Urogenital Atrophy Explained – A British Menopause Society Video
- The Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause: An Overview of the Recent Data
- Urogenital Problems
- Vaginal Dryness
- Vaginal Dryness
- Vaginal Dryness Alternative Treatments
- Video Series-2020 – Bone Health What You Need To Know
- Video Series-2020 – How To Talk To Your Primary Care Clinician About Your Overall Health
- Video Series-2020 – What Women Need To Know About Heart Disease
- Video Series-2020 – What You Need To Know About Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
- Video Series-2021 – What Women Need To Know About Hormone Therapies
- Vulvovaginal Symptoms After Menopause
- What Is Menopausal Hormone Therapy (MHT) and Is It Safe?
- What It Means To Go Red for Women [+ Video]
- Women Take Charge of Their Health
- Women’s Wellness: Bladder Control Problems
- Women’s Wellness: Hot Flashes and Night Sweats Happen After Menopause [+ Video Courtesy: Mayo Clinic News Network
- Women’s Wellness: Mindfulness May Ease Menopausal Symptoms
- Women’s Wellness: Painful Sex After Menopause
- Women’s Wellness: Treating Hot Flashes and Night Sweats Without Hormones [+ Video]
- World Menopause Day: World Menopause Day 2018 – Patient Information Leaflet: Sexual Wellbeing After Menopause [Multiply Languages]
- World Menopause Day: World Menopause Day 2019 – Patient Information Leaflet: Testosterone for Women At Midlife [Multiply Languages]
- World Osteoporosis Day October 20: Patient Leaflet
Sources
Where may I find the Sources quoted?
You may find the Sources quoted at:
Sources
- About Menopause: The Stages of Menopause – Postmenopause. Last Updated: 07 December 2020 | Last Reviewed: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause/ Accessed: 27 January 2021
- Menopause Terminology: Definitions. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/menopause_terminology.php Accessed: 27 January 2021
- 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: 27 January 2021
- What Is Menopause? Content Updated February 2016. Australasian Menopause Society https://www.menopause.org.au/hp/information-sheets/185-what-is-menopause Accessed: 27 January 2021
- 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/downloads/world_menopause_day_2014/white_paper/wmd_white_paper_english.pdf Accessed: 27 January 2021
- About Menopause: The Stages of Menopause – Postmenopause. Last Updated: 07 December 2020 | Last Reviewed: 17 December 2017. Jean Hailes for Women’s Health https://jeanhailes.org.au/health-a-z/menopause/about-menopause/ Accessed: 27 January 2021
- 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: Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases After Menopause. 2014:3 https://www.imsociety.org/downloads/world_menopause_day_2014/white_paper/wmd_white_paper_english.pdf Accessed: 27 January 2021
- 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/downloads/world_menopause_day_2014/white_paper/wmd_white_paper_english.pdf Accessed: 27 January 2021
- 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: Summary of Prevention Strategies. 2014:22 https://www.imsociety.org/downloads/world_menopause_day_2014/white_paper/wmd_white_paper_english.pdf Accessed: 27 January 2021
- Maintaining Health and Preventing Disease After the Menopause. 2014:2. International Menopause Society https://www.imsociety.org/downloads/world_menopause_day_2014/booklets/ims_wmd_booklet_2014_english.pdf Accessed: 27 January 2021
Topic Last Updated: 27 January 2021 – Topic Last Reviewed: 27 January 2021
