Menopause and related problems.

Due to the increase in life expectancy and the constant age at menopause, women at the West, can now expect to spend more than 1/3 of their lifetime after menopause. This leads to increased concern regarding not only short-term symptoms, but also long-term consequences of estrogens deficiency. Understanding the natural history of menopausal symptoms and long-term consequences of estrogen deficiency requires long-term data on numerous women from different backgrounds. We have evaluated scientific evidences for the association between menopause and somatic or psychological problems; the temporal association of different symptoms with stage of the menopausal transition and the consistency of risk factors for symptoms.