A simple way to manage menopause.

Menopausal women require early therapy to prevent or ameliorate signs and symptoms as well as pathologic consequences of menopause. Estrogen replacement therapy combined with adequate calcium supplementation and exercise is the only well-established prophylactic regimen. Medroxy-progesterone acetate (Curretab, Cycrin, Provera) is added to the treatment regimen to prevent endometrial hyperplasia in women who have not undergone hysterectomy. When estrogen therapy is medically contraindicated, medroxy-progesterone acetate or salmon calcitonin (Calcimar, Miacalcin) combined with calcium supplementation may be offered. Sodium fluoride (Luride) cannot be recommended for routine use at this time. Considering the lipoprotein effects of various estrogen-delivery systems and the potential side effects of other drugs, much research on the risks and benefits of various therapeutic methods remains to be done.