The menopause in Europe

Most women in developed countries will Live a third of their Lives after th e menopause. Vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes, night sweats, irritability, s leep disturbances, mood swings), and urogenital complications (atrophic vag inal irritation and dryness, dyspareunia) occur frequently during this peri od of life, but their severity and duration may vary widely between individ uals. The menopause also induces accelerated bone loss and is the principal risk factor for osteoporosis. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT; estrogen o r estrogen plus progestogen) alleviates these symptoms and can be administe red orally, transdermally, topically, intranasally, or as subcutaneous impl ants. HRT is also effective for prevention and treatment of postmenosausal osteoporosis throughout the time that it is used. It is not surprising that HRT use has increased substantially during the pa st decade. Nevertheless, there are still considerable variations in use bet ween different countries within the European community. This presentation w ill analyze: the frequency of menopausal symptoms among women in different European countries and the factors that influence them; the frequency of ot her postmenopausal women's health issues in Europe; the use of HRT in Europ e as well as the type of HRT and its evolution during the last decade; and possible reasons explaining heterogeneity between countries.