For Immediate Release:
July 6, 2001
Contact: Karin Kolsky
(301) 496-1752
Nearly 2 million women will turn 50 this year, and many of them have lots of questions about menopause. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has some answers for them. Menopause--One Woman’s Story, Every Woman’s Story: A Resource for Making Healthy Choices is the NIA’s new eye-catching, 32-page brochure. It can help answer a woman’s questions about what to expect as she approaches menopause, how to handle the symptoms, and what to do to maintain her health in the decades after menopause.
“Today’s woman encounters a lot of information about menopause from a variety of sources—television, magazines, newspapers, and her doctor, to name a few. Sometimes she hears conflicting facts. Our new booklet uses current scientific knowledge to provide authoritative answers to the most common questions about this stage of life,” commented NIA Director Dr. Richard Hodes. “In the past women have often looked upon the time after menopause as a period of poor health and waning abilities. Research has shown that this may not have to be true. Menopausal women today can look forward to decades of healthy, active living. We hope this brochure will help them achieve that lifestyle.”
One Woman’s Story was reviewed by 17 scientists and physicians. It follows a series of questions that the average woman might ask about menopause, including:
- What symptoms should I look for?
- How can I manage the symptoms of menopause?
- What could happen after menopause?
- What are the benefits and risks of using hormones after menopause?
- Are there other things I should do to stay healthy?
The responses provide comprehensive answers for almost every woman. They are accompanied by informative tables and charts, illustrative drawings, photographs, and summary boxes, all in a strikingly designed publication. A glossary and a resource guide complete the brochure.
“This publication represents a snapshot of what experts know to be true about menopause,” remarked Dr. Sherry Sherman, Director of NIA’s Clinical Endocrinology and Osteoporosis Research Program. “It also provides a glimpse of what ongoing research studies will yield in the future.”
Also available now is Who? What? Where? Resources for Women’s Health and Aging, a resource guide published by the NIA and the Alliance for Aging Research. It features summaries and resource lists for subjects of interest to women, from nutrition or menopause to caregiving or finances. Free copies of this resource guide are also available by calling the NIA Information Center.
The NIA, part of the National Institutes of Health, leads the Federal effort supporting basic, clinical, epidemiological, and social research on aging and the special needs of older people.
