[Treatment of menopausal symptoms--review of the current literature].

Although the expected mean age of women increased significantly in the 20th century, the time of menopause has not changed (age of 50-51 years). Women's life span in Hungary is 77.2 years, which means, that one third of their lives is lived in menopause. Aging and the consequent lack of estrogen means a more and more serious problem on social level as well. In Hungary there are approximately 1.8 million women above the age of 50. Only an insignificant part of them is treated, which is about 5%, compared to other European countries, where this ratio is between 5 and 25%. Menopause-related symptoms can be divided into the following groups: vasomotor symptoms (sweating, hot flashes, palpitation), decreased psychic and physical functions (fatigue, depression, panic disease, cognitive problems, decreased libido), cardiovascular diseases (ischaemic heart disease), endometrial atrophy, bone and articular alterations (osteoporosis) and urogenital symptoms (vaginal dryness, incontinence, cystitis). The most frequent symptom is hot flashes, which is characteristic of more than 60% of women in menopause. Osteoporosis after the cardiovascular diseases is the second most serious problem on public health level. Approximately 9% of the Hungarian population suffers from osteoporotic problems, which concretely means 600.000 women and 300.000 men. The most frequent fractures are the hip and vertebral fractures. In 1999, 15.100 hip and 51.000 peripheric fractures occurred in Hungary. The above mentioned symptoms, even separately, may decrease the quality of life, therefore their treatment and the knowledge of all of the therapeutic possibilities are essential.