Women spend approximately one-third of their lives with menopause, which occurs around 50 years of age. It is now appreciated that several important metabolic and cardiovascular disease risks emerge during the menopausal transition. Many important conditions occur 10–15 years after menopause, including weight gain and obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, dementia, and cancer; therefore, the occurrence of menopause heralds an important opportunity to institute preventative strategies. These strategies will lead to improved quality of life and decreased mortality. Various strategies are presented for treating symptoms of menopause and diseases that are asymptomatic. Among several strategies is the use of hormone therapy, which has efficacy for symptoms and osteoporosis, and can improve metabolic and cardiovascular health. When instituted early, which is key, in younger postmenopausal women (under 60 years) oestrogen has been found to consistently decrease mortality with a favourable risk–benefit profile in low-risk women. Prospective data show that long-term therapy might not be required for this benefit.

女性大约有三分之一的时间处于更年期，这发生在 50 岁左右。现在人们认识到，在绝经过渡期间会出现一些重要的代谢和心血管疾病风险。许多重要疾病会在绝经后 10-15 年出现，包括体重增加和肥胖、代谢综合征、糖尿病、骨质疏松症、关节炎、心血管疾病、痴呆和癌症；因此，更年期的发生预示着制定预防策略的重要机会。这些策略将提高生活质量并降低死亡率。提出了用于治疗更年期症状和无症状疾病的各种策略。几种策略之一是使用激素疗法，它对症状和骨质疏松症有疗效，并且可以改善新陈代谢和心血管健康。在年轻的绝经后女性（60 岁以下）中尽早开始使用雌激素是关键，已发现雌激素可以持续降低死亡率，并且在低风险女性中具有良好的风险-收益特征。前瞻性数据表明，这种益处可能不需要长期治疗。